Call Me Home: Poems - Softcover

Kaur, Harman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1771683996 ISBN 13: 9781771683999

Publisher: Central Avenue Poetry, 2025

Synopsis

A powerful and honest force on TikTok, Harman Kaur's words are now in print. This is an exploration of the diverse manifestations of “home”, extending beyond its mere physicality to womanhood, spirituality, and immigration.

Explore the multifaceted concept of "home" through Kaur's evocative poetry. Journey beyond its physical confines to discover its emotional and psychological depths, touching on themes like immigration, womanhood, and spirituality.

Encounter narratives of loss, rediscovery, and healing that resonate with the human experience. With rich language and imagery, this collection offers fresh perspectives, inviting readers to reconsider their understanding of what it means to feel at home.

About this title

About the Author

Harman Kaur is a Panjabi Sikh poet and writer whose work explores memory, migration, intergenerational silence, and identity. Through lyrical storytelling, she centers the voices of eldest daughters, immigrant families, and those living between languages and lands. Her poetry acts as preservation, protest, and prayer – writing toward a future where the stories of her people are no longer marginalized but amplified. Born and raised in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Kaur now resides in the Bay Area, California with her husband and two children. She is the author of What the Rivers Remember, Phulkari and Call Me Home.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Intergenerational Pain

I learned silence from my father;
this is the only way he was ever allowed to grieve

I inherited my mother’s rage;
this is the only way she was ever heard

Numb
There is no doubt about it:
It is easier to think of anything but the grief,
to drift in a constant state of numbness.
The cuts keep coming, but I no longer feel them.
I wear my scars like badges, battle-worn,
yet, truth be told,
I do not remember when they formed—or how.
The anesthesia will fade, eventually,
but healing means confronting the pain.
And who wants to walk down the street,
only to come face to face with their mistakes?

The eclipse
If I told you
about the darkness
inside me,
would you still look at me
like I am the Sun?

Chekhov’s Gun
In another lifetime,

I learn not to carry the hurt
like a loaded gun.

In another lifetime,

you are bulletproof.

Edition details

• Publisher: Central Avenue Poetry
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1771683996
• ISBN 13: 9781771683999
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128