Gifts (version one)

My father brought me books
Monet in the 90s, Mastering the Art of Drawing, The Garden of Eden
And Bollywood magazines
She, Femina, Stardust
Heart-shaped earrings, a necklace of beads made of lacquered paper
and seashells and bags with elephants embroidered on them
Brightly colored scarves
ridiculous t shirts
grocery store flowers, arabic store bread
keychains from airports,
bangles engraved with peacocks
cloth-faced dolls on stands, meant for shelves
rugs and tapestries
sombreros and canteens and pottery from street vendors
leather sandals shortbread from Heathrow
saris and cushion covers and coconut shells painted
When we lived in India, from America he brought
peanut butter, a lunch box, brownie mix
And now he’s been gone so long, I can’t imagine
how heavy his suitcase has become.