Krafty Page ChronicleS • Issue 3 • May — Belong • Stage II: Chrysalis
Belonging to Yourself
Vo Thi Nhu Mai reflects on Ananya Bhattacharyya’s I Am My Own Sunshine.
Reflection by Vo Thi Nhu Mai • Co-Editor, Krafty Page ChronicleS
Featured Work
Contributor Spotlight
Ananya Bhattacharyya
Ananya Bhattacharyya is a deeply passionate poet hailing from Assam, India. With a postgraduate degree in Life Sciences, specializing in Zoology, she carries a scientific awareness. Her connection to nature is intimate and enduring. Reading remains one of her most cherished pursuits, as a lifelong companionship. Where books become trusted confidants and constant source of inspiration. At the core of her identity lies a simple yet powerful belief: to remain true to oneself in a world that often demands conformity.
The Poem at the Center
Who Remains When Applause Disappears?
I Am My Own Sunshine asks a difficult question about loyalty, recognition, and what happens when status no longer protects us. The poem imagines the loss of wealth, praise, and social attention, then pushes toward a conclusion that is both lonely and empowering.
The turning point is simple: “only I am my own sunshine.” The line does not erase the need for community. Instead, it challenges the idea that self-worth can safely depend on other people’s admiration.
Mai’s Lens • Self-Belonging
To Belong to Yourself Is Not to Reject Others
What I hear in this poem is not a rejection of relationship, but a warning against building identity entirely on external approval. People can love us deeply and still fail us. Others may celebrate us when we are useful, visible, successful, or strong. That does not automatically make every relationship false, but it does remind us that no audience can carry the full responsibility for our sense of self.
Self-belonging means learning how to remain in relationship with ourselves through change. Wealth may change. Reputation may change. Family roles may change. Even the way others see us can change. The inner question becomes: can we continue recognizing our own humanity when applause becomes quiet?
That is where the image of sunshine becomes meaningful. Light from within is not endless optimism. It is the practice of remembering that our worth cannot be reduced to popularity, possessions, or usefulness.
— Vo Thi Nhu Mai
A person can be loved by many and still need to know how to stand beside themselves.
— Vo Thi Nhu Mai
Reader Reflection
What Part of Your Identity Exists Without an Audience?
If praise, status, money, or recognition disappeared for a season, what would remain unchanged about your values, character, and sense of self? Which relationships help you remember who you are without requiring you to perform for belonging?
Issue 3 Connection
May — Belong • Stage II: Chrysalis
I Am My Own Sunshine fits May because belonging is not only about family, culture, or community. It also asks whether we can belong to ourselves when external conditions change.
Explore May — Belong • Read Ananya Bhattacharyya’s earlier KVI poetry feature