The boy’s mother finished her meal and went about
her motherly duties, pitting dates for what the boy
hoped would be date-filled cookies.
“dad said not to make too much noise,”
whispered the boy.
She whispered back that it won’t be too much, then
proceeded to playfully pretend-drum the empty
plastic jar of chocolate-coated raisins.
They both giggled silently.
“This must be love,” pondered the boy.
“to be bothered more
by noise for the person
asleep than they are
by the noise. And to
know just how much
would bother them.”
MAHMOODULHASAN BHAIYAT is studying Kinesiology at York University. He loves exploring nature by going on hikes and collecting intriguing organic objects like mushrooms, driftwood, and animal skulls. He also enjoys growing fruits, flowers, and herbs and expressing himself through art mediums like photography and writing.
You can read more of his poetry at https://poetizer.com/author/25855
We would like to begin by acknowledging the Indigenous Peoples of all the lands that we are on today. While we meet today on a virtual platform, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the importance of the lands, on which we each call home. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and responsibility in improving relationships between nations and to improve our own understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their cultures.
York University’s land acknowledgement may not represent the territory that you are currently on, and we would ask that if this is the case, you take responsibility to acknowledge the traditional territory that you are on and its current treaty holders.
York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities.
We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.
From coast to coast to coast, we acknowledge the ancestral and unceded territory of all the Inuit, Métis, and First Nations people that call this land home. Please join us in a moment of reflection to acknowledge the effect of residential schools and colonialism on Indigenous families and communities and to consider how it is our collective responsibility to recognize colonial and arrivant histories and present-day implications in order to honour, protect, and sustain this land.
In recognizing that these spaces occupy colonized First Nations territories and out of respect for the rights of the Indigenous people, please look for, in your own way, to engage in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.