A Home to Welcome the New Year
Poetry of Love by Oindrila Pal
In the corner under the bridge, buzzing with unsightly flies
It is the home of 4 strangers I have never met
All I can see from where I am
Is the wax of candles that once lit the darkness
Now all that remains are the shadows
In the wind, a few fragments of clothes dance
I see the mother beside the small fire, wiping her forehead
And the little naked sister whose tiny eyes flood the room
And the brother sits with the sister on his skinny legs and protruding stomach
Which doesn’t remember the last time it was fed
And the father scrunches his nose at the reek of the garbage dump beside the shed
But how far should I trust my eyes?
The room echoes with the boy’s songs to help her sister have a peaceful sleep
The mother swings her saree to wind her children while the sweat drips from her chin
The father opens the window to let his wife’s black, tarred hair not stick on her back
Through the little window left open
I see a tenacious grip on each other’s fingers
A stale loaf of bread lay on the plate
They close their eyes and look up at the night sky
“May the next year bring more happiness.”
Let’s Talk About What We Saw
This is not just poetry. It’s a quiet, aching moment many would pass by without a second glance. But here, that moment is held still long enough for us to see what we often miss.
You might say, This is poverty. But the poem says something more—it speaks of grace, of care, of survival through tenderness. It doesn’t ask for sympathy; it invites us to witness. A mother still sways her children to sleep. A boy still sings to his sister. A father still opens a window, not for air, but to ease the weight of his wife’s day.
These are gestures that don’t need words, but here, they have them.
Why Does This Poem Matter Now
Because in a world chasing spectacle, this poem reminds us that meaning still lives in the smallest human acts. It reminds us that love doesn’t require comfort. That a family, no matter where they are, or what they have, is still a home if there is care inside.
And maybe that’s the hidden strength of poetry like this. It asks us to pause. Not to turn away.
Where to Go After This
If this poem “a home to welcome” stayed with you, you might be looking for more writing that doesn’t just decorate emotion, but digs into it. Poetry that sits with the hard questions and still chooses beauty.
At Heartsaysalot, we share more than verses. We share moments. Not just from Popular Modern Poetry Books, but from voices that deserve to be heard today. We believe in poetry that moves something real—words that don’t pretend, words that remember.
If you are drawn to work that speaks directly to the human spirit, you’ll find comfort and resonance in our Best Poetry Books Collection. These aren’t just poems to read. They are Must-Read Poetry for the Soul—quiet companions for the mind and heart.
You may also be interested in our Inspirational Poetry Collections, which feature writers who give strength to vulnerability and beauty to what is often overlooked. And for those seeking the finest in recent poetic expression, our library of Contemporary Poetry Masterpieces offers a deeply moving experience.
But It Starts Here
With this one poem, “a home to welcome”, this one night, this one quiet home that welcomed a new year, the only way it could be—with love.
