Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Book Review: Des Vu by Swapna Sanchita

 At its heart, a poem is a moment.


Sometimes crystal, sometimes rock salt, sometimes a speck of dust that falls in the eye.

This is a deeply personal collection of moments. Each moment comes alive through her words, and for that fleeting second, one lives the moment with the poet.

Each piece is short. And complete.
As anyone who writes knows, that is a mean feat (aka Flex).

Here's to poets who know this craft, and bring it alive for the rest of us.


Monday, July 21, 2025

Tickle

When someone tickles us, we laugh uncontrollably. 
That laugh is not happiness. 
It is a physical response 
to a physical stimulus
It is NOT 
Happiness.
Just the appearance
Of Happiness. 

Some people are like that too. 
Being with them 
is like being tickled
the physical responses are all there
but they are not 
real. 
The laughter 
does not go 
to the heart
or the soul. 

That is why 
i do not like 
being tickled. 



Thursday, July 17, 2025

Ahuti

माँ बाप ने नाम गलत रखा मेरा 


आकृति का होता है आकार 


मेरी नियति 

जल  

- जिस घर में बसें 

उसका आकार लें

निज का नहीं 


डेढ़ अक्षर की भूल, बस 

मेरा गुण-संगत नाम 

रखते, तो होता

आहुति 


Translation, but the word Ahuti has a very specific connotation - it is sacrifice made to the holy fire where the person making the sacrifice earns good karma or a tangible spiritual or material reward. The piece should be read with that connotation. 


They got the name wrong

It should not have been 

Valerie

- the strong one. 

What use is strength 

in a girl? 


If they had named me 

as they raised me 

My name would have been 

Ahuti 

-  the Sacrifice. 







Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Blogroll of an unnamed blogger

This post is to compile the writing of a blogger who does not want to publish these pieces. I love them, so am compiling them without the name. 


Jo yaad thaa woh guzar gaya

Aandhi mein sab bikhar gaya

Shaakh ab muh uthaaye dekhti hai

Jo panchi baitha thaa, kidhar gaya


Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Evolution of Work Friendships

Good morning.  

How was your weekend? 

Here, have this. I got this from home. 

Come come, birthday party in canteen.  

Wow, you love books too? 

We're going dancing/drinking/biking/birdwatching/walking/.... coming? 

Why are you upset? Come, let's get chai 

Chai peeni hai? 

Chai? 

Chal. 

And finally... 

Aaj mere ghar. 




One-sided love

लाल-लाल डोरों वाली आँखें 
जो सदा चुराई जाएँ 

मुंह खुले तो न सांस निकले
ना बोल 
और आँसू? 
भादों की बरसात से 
 
मन 
बावरा 
और दिमाग? 
गाफ़िल 
  
अभी-अभी 
अचानक अहसास हुआ कि 
तुम से मिलने तक 
एकतरफा इश्क 
कभी हुआ ही नहीं था मुझको 


Eyes
red from weeping  
and blank 
from wondering. 

Lips 
that neither sigh nor part 

A heart 
that holds too much 
and a head that holds 
Nothing. 

You, darling, are my first 
one-sided love 

A rite of passage 
Belated, but not 
beleaguered. 
Eventually 
All seasons come. 
This one did, too. 


This poem was co-created while discussing unrequited love with a friend who started off as a colleague. 
Leading to the creation of a meme and another post for this blog. :) 


Monday, July 07, 2025

Katran: TTT

So, you were in a relationship earlier? 

Three. None of them lasted more than 6 months. 

Why? Why didn't they work out? 

....

I want to know so I don't make any of the mistakes that those people made. 


What does the term "A procession of uncles" mean?

In Childhood Sexual Abuse, this term refers to multiple men, either close friends of the family or close relatives or other frequent visitors to the house, who abused a child over their growing years. 

The term is typically used by survivors who did not have access to adult care that would stop this ongoing, recurrent abuse. 

There used to be an Indian blog where Indian survivors shared their stories of CSA. I learnt this term on that blog. Unfortunately, I cannot find that blog anymore. Now, just institutional resources. 

So, if you are out there, looking for something to resonate with your CSA experience, this one comes from the survivors. And I am truly, really sorry that the CSA Awareness blog was deleted and the other blog is no longer indexed by search engines. 

Wednesday, July 02, 2025

Bangles

Bangles 


A woman's voice 

when her lips are silent. 


They can tinkle softly, 

like gentle laughter 

or crash 

like a shriek 

Or walk away 

without a backward glance.