Unsettled Quotes

“When I get mad,
I am not like
the water in a rice pot
simmering slow.
I am calm
calm
calm
and then I explode.
I am a teakettle
waiting to scream.
-Nurah”
― Reem Faruqi, Unsettled: An Award-Winning Story about Immigration, Family, and Finding Belonging for Children

“When I doodle,
my mind forgets
all that is happening
around me,
the bad
and the good
and the in-between.

My doodles
become sketches.
And when I write
in my journal,
the words and pictures
play and flirt
with each other.
-Nurah”
― Reem Faruqi, Unsettled: An Award-Winning Story about Immigration, Family, and Finding Belonging for Children

“Dadi's voice is clear
as she pinches off
pouty pink petunias,
wilted blooms.
'You need to get rid of
all the old
and dead flowers
to make space
for new ones.'

Maybe I need to get rid
of all my old
and bad choices
to make space
for new ones?”
― Reem Faruqi, Unsettled: An Award-Winning Story about Immigration, Family, and Finding Belonging for Children

“I am the water,
buoyant with hope.
-Nurah”
― Reem Faruqi, Unsettled: An Award-Winning Story about Immigration, Family, and Finding Belonging for Children

“I won't remember
your name
long after you're gone,
but if you have a piece
of art that's memorable,
I will always remember your work.
Always.
-Ms. White”
― Reem Faruqi, Unsettled: An Award-Winning Story about Immigration, Family, and Finding Belonging for Children