بطانية (Bitania); blanket

Mayen, Germany

I keep my kindness in my eyes Gently folded around my iris Like a velvety, brown blanket That warms my vision

Sanober Khan

The weight of what I’ve set out to do is now in tangible form: A Ford combi van. These hundreds of pounds of steel inertia have propelled me to a place I know & love: the home of my friend Matthias. En route, I only stalled in several places on the autobahn; which is to say that I only fell into cardiac arrest 3-4 times. Not bad. But I arrive exhausted.

Words fail me when I attempt to recall my time in Mayen, & how grateful I am for it. The holidaze allowed me to shoulder off the load I had, & feel at home. Moments spent playing Mario Kart, walking through a rock quarry, countless hours eating together, going to church, sitting quietly reading, grocery shopping, “shopping” shopping, sharing stories, memories… These moments all cement how lucky I feel, & propel me further than any van ever could.

<3 Vielen Dank an die Familie Justen <3

Gratitude to the Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) and Anishinabewaki, the original
stewards of the land where I came into being.

Myrah Graham – Copyright © 2023