THE MAKING OF A DOCTOR
Dead unseeing eyes lying on cold marble slabs Unprotesting organs awaiting the touch of the scalpels Nauseous stench of formalin welcoming you with open arms Forcing all life’s noble ambitions to flee while self-doubt creeps in. Urine samples bubbling like a witch’s magical brew Amoeba in stool made larger than life, flaying their arms […]
DOELPARODY OF LIES
You promised me social justice Then raped me because I was a Dalit born You took from me, my land and my honour And left me of my dignity shorn . You promised me liberty of faith Then killed me for worshipping a different god No right I had to express my thoughts Not in […]
WAIT OUR TURNS
Manisha, you will not go unmourned We will burn candles, sign petitions March, update our Facebook status Even write a poem or two. And then we will move on To wait our turn The turns of our mothers Sisters, wives, daughters And perhaps even ourselves.
DARK NIGHTS
They said the darkest of nights would pass They said the pain would cease They said that I could rebuild again My life piece by fragmented piece They said the darkest of nights would pass They said the sun would shine They said all the dreams I had lost I could reclaim once again as […]
CAN YOU HEAR ME SHRIEK?
From the womb of the barren earth In the rumble of the cataclysmic quakes That flattens the skyscrapers and shanties alike I wail in vain, proof of my chastity For i am Sita Can you hear me? From the stony silence of the mountains In the devastating deluge of an avalanche That wipes away all […]
Life in Lockdown
I wait for life to begin When i can go to office At the beginning of day And return at the end To complain that i have no time To live life In the meantime …… I paint those elusive dreams I cook those long forgotten tastes I sing those unfettered lyrics I jot down […]
PERSPECTIVE
You see blue unblemished skies I see streaks 1of blood marring it You breathe pure air tinged with the fragrance of jasmine I inhale the odor of putrid bodies left in open graves You hear the soothing melody of some nameless bird I hear the heart wrenching weeping of inconsolable orphans We have woken up […]
MOTHER EARTH???
They say the skies are bluer The clouds are pristine white The air they say smells sweeter And we witness a star spangled night The birdsongs are more lovely Peacocks dance in the street Wild life ventures into cities Their domesticated brethrens to greet The trees it appears are taller The grass on both sides […]
STARK
You stand stark Tall, unflinching and defiant Against a canvas of menstrual red That heralds the coming of your womanhood That lures the hyenas and human wolves That seeks to turn your beauty into shame You stand stark Tall, unflinching and defiant Against a canvas of vermillon red That swaps maidenhood for matrimonial shackles That […]
The Sky is an ardent lover
The sky is an ardent lover At surise it blushes with bridal coyness Resplendent in its golden glory Its subtle hues promises of secret ecstasies It seduces the mind yet calms the soul At noon it is an image of tranquillity Not a speck of lust across its virgin blue The expanse of serene vastness […]