LIFE AS IT IS

I heard snow was white And snow was heavenly.  The first snowfall I witnessed Was indeed white and heavenly. That evening the sky opened, And shreds of cotton began to descend, Turning everything white.  I stood under the sky With my palms open, And my face up.  Crisp, fluffy snow Fell on my brown face.  It felt cool and powdery.  It was the winter of 2008, It was the first snowfall of my life.  © Wara Karim

I knocked on the glass Tock-tock-tock.  No one heard me, I knocked quietly.  Boys and girls in pretty clothes Went in, came out.  They went in happy.  They came out happier.  They ate ice-cream, Cold, sweet, creamy.  Chocolate, vanilla & strawberry.  Mint, caramel & blueberry. Every time the door swung open I sniffed, and I sniffed again.  Oh, the sweet aroma of ice cream! How hungry it always made me! I waited outside every day, Wishing for a miracle to happen.  But I was then too naive to understand That I was too small to be visible.  And too poor to matter.  - Wara

Let the spring breeze Play with your hair.  Let the summer sun Brighten up your life.  Let the monsoon rain Wash away your agonies.  Let the colors of autumn Paint your day and night.  And, let the cold of winter Cool the rage in your heart.  - Wara

A young Bangladeshi woman in her mid-20s, Parul works at a nail salon in Queens, New York. I met her in January during a weekend trip to New York City. My childhood friend and I went to a nail salon for a relaxing treat and that was where I met Parul.  Parul was my nail technician. That’s a difficult-sounding name for a task apparently as simple as manicure. But the reality is, one has to take nail tech classes and get a certificate before they can start working for a licensed nail salon, because manicure now involves way more than just clipping, filing, buffering, and pushing cuticle. Clients of manicure now go for nail enhancement, nail art, and they also want to wear long-lasting gel nail polish, a kind of polish whose application and removal generally requires a professional manicurist. In short, manicure has reached a whole new level!   Parul, who came to the USA nearly five years ago after winning the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, has called Queens her home ever...