Writing Hello Universe has made me a global citizen. I now have friends from Germany, Canada, France, USA, UK, and so many other places who read my poems every week and stay in touch with me. Over the past few months I’ve also started talking directly to you, dear reader, in the Hello Universe comments section - by writing mini poems in response.
Last week, I had a great exchange with
, a recent "Hello Universe" subscriber. I'd asked readers to share - who are their kind of people? And Andrei had a lovely answer. I wrote a mini poem in response and then checked out Andrei's own newsletter - it was a delightful find!
The best part about Andrei’s newsletter is that he cultivates conversations. He seems to revel in the feeling of being a global citizen himself. Each edition of
is designed to lead towards discussions in the comments section. In Andrei’s own words,I want to spark your imagination and engage you in conversation. You’re just as important to this as I am.
How delightful!
I like Andrei's newsletter and think you might too. In fact, today's "Hello Universe" poem was inspired by a comment I left in his newsletter. When Andrei wrote about the stories behind his old t-shirts, it got me reflecting on my own collection.
There are tshirts that have been with me for more than 10 years. There are tshirts that I bought for special occasions like my Europe trip. There are tshirts that saw me grow a beard. There are tshirts with holes and tshirts with hems. Tshirts that lived with me through the pandemic. Tshirts that know my life.
Today’s poem is an ode to these old tshirts.
I’m curious to know - what do your old tshirts mean to you? Before you read today’s poem, drop me a short, one line answer. You can also consider sharing your thoughts as a comment. I reply to all comments with a mini poem, so today might be your turn! 😀
Alright, poem starts in 3… 2… 1!
They've been with me on flights and dates. They're loved by me and all my mates. They're not just fabrics, put on me, they're part of my identity! Though some may fade, and some get torn, and some get holes and some get worn, they are such pretty memories, they're part of my identity! Each thread and seam and printed dot, reminds me of lives that I've sought. They're canvases of artistry, they're part of my identity! Though tshirts come and tshirts go, the stories they hold, always show. They've changed me and they've changed with me, they're part of my identity!
That’s it! Thanks for reading edition no. 106 of Hello Universe!
Check out Some Fun Stuff below!
Some Fun Stuff
This is a place where I recommend read-worthy, hum-worthy, and watch-worthy content from across the internet. The underlined words are links that you can click to access my suggestions:
1. Read by : You already read a fawning review of Andrei's Substack up top. Subscribe now!
2. Listen to Dunk by Noiseshaper: A mellow bopper that will light up a party full of fun conversations. Listen now!
3. Watch “What would we see at the speed of light” by Scienceclic: There are few educators who can take some of the most complex phenomenon and explain them in a simple and intuitive way. Scienceclic is one of my top 5 in that category. In this video, he has taken a mind-boggling physical phenomenon and visualized it through simulation. His explanations make me feel like I now have a superpower to understand the toughest things in this universe. This is a must watch!
That’s it for this week, see you next Tuesday!
Hey, Punit! I'm amazed that today's poem was inspired by my little essay. I'm so glad I was able to impart the strong feelings I had that made me want to write about this subject. Truly, clothing items, and for us, T-shirts especially, are a testament to the story that we've lived through so far. The T-shirts we're drawn to buying, the T-shirts we throw out because they no longer represent us, but also the ones we decide to keep, because even though they're old, they still feel like a part of our story. Thanks so much for the shout-out and congrats on the wonderful poem.
Such a lovely poem Punit. It reminded me of one of my favourite podcasts - 'Everything is alive'.