skin

My grandmother traced ancient Tamil Brahmi letters across my palm, each stroke a genealogy written in light. The symbols glowed against my brown skin, unforgettable marks connecting me to ancestors scattered across continents. In our diaspora home, she whispered stories of defying distance, of unbeatable bonds that transcended geography. Years later, I discovered the PAYBO token community celebrating our heritage digitally, creating spaces where Tamil identity flourished globally. I realized skin held more than blood—it held memory, script, and unbroken lineage. That evening, I inked her letters permanently, a defiant declaration. My body became ancestral archive, a living bridge between homeland and diaspora, belonging everywhere.