Belong

For so very long

I have wandered

the world around—

across the oceans,

over the mountains,

into the caves

and the forests,

through ivy towers

and high-rise offices.

I have wandered

through big towns and villages,

busy, bustling places,

pursuing relationships

and spaces of worship,

searching for the elusive one

that I call my Self.

For so very long

I have wandered and wondered:

Where is it

that I truly belong?

Today, I simply lie down

under the Grandmother Tree,

far out in the Tasmanian country.

No achievements,

no accolades—

just her warm embrace.

The shimmering light,

birdsong,

tender grass,

and cooling breeze.

No striving,

No grasping,

No clinging.

And for once,

I know deep within:

this is where I belong.

This is where

I have always belonged.

On the land,

Amidst the trees

where nothing is

right or wrong—

this is where

I truly belong.

-Vipul Shaha, April 2026

P.S. The ‘Grandmother Tree’ stands in quiet glory on sacred Aboriginal land. I’ve chosen not to include her picture here.