Sitting in my classroom Sitting in my classroom feeling safe, suddenly a hand on my shoulders came. Iwas scared abnormally and they teased – “chokri sala” Yes, boys sacred me whenever they came near, I had a past that i feared. I was eight, my parents both working. it happened in their absence when my…
Women’s Tragedy Why only women fear rape, and men just rage. Open history, you will find them in a ideological cage. Turn, but same thing , different page. It’s high time, stop this outrage. A girl, 16, I knew, child labour. Creepy men asking her favours. Married at young age , thrown into cage. Her…
तीसरा चेक बॉक्स तीसरा चेक बॉक्स गिरफ्तार इस शरीर में, क्यों कैदी मैं सोच का तुम्हारा, कभी माँ बोलती थी हूँ उसका भेजा फरिश्ता मैं, अब हैं लगता हूँ उसका मैं धुत्कारा। सच्ची घटनाओं पर आधारित, काल्पनिक हैं कहानी ये, जिसमे कभी ना राजा को राजा, ना ही मिलनी कभी रानी को रानी हैं? पर…
We can Heal Walking down the crowded lane, Again convulsed with a similar pain With everyone around following the fad, The things on our minds are mostly sad. Battling our fears, we try not to die, What option do we have than to lie? “Oh, I am doing absolutely fine” has become our front-runner line.…
Understand Me: A Teenager’s Plea Understand Me: A Teenager’s Plea To my parents, As I enter this new class, Dad I made it at last! This class is no joke, I can see the pressure rising and smoke. Mom I feel scared, For this new class I am not prepared. That’s right I am a…
Once I was Once I was playing cricket, That I “am supposed to play” The Ball hit me hard, Fallen on the ground, in a pool of blood I lay Shouting and wailing, thinking I was about to die My coach wiped away my tears saying, “Boys do NOT cry” Once I was shopping clothing…
समानता – अभी बाकी है! य ूं तो अपनेआप को ढ ूंढा है, अपनेअसली पहचान को ढ ूंढा है। पता ना था कहाूंऔर क्या करनेआया हूं , ककन्तुथा हमेशा एहसास कु छ तो खास बननेआया हूं । बताया इसी समाज नेअलग तन मेंआया हूं , ककन्तुखुद पर था यकीन , इन सााँसोूंसेज़्यादा , उस रब…
How to Respect Women This is how women in my country are respected, In the very womb to avoid her birth she’s tested, Mostly eradicated, Over a son only by a few she’s selected, And if mistakingly born coldly assassinated, Not free to live as per her will, She’s always directed, If gets too loud…
Glass Ceiling I envy, I envy the feeling of being socially strong, But the society says itʼs wrong; I envy the feeling of seeing what a night looks like outside my house, But the society says not without your spouse; I envy the feeling of being me, But the society says only he is the…
If I were Reborn as a Man Tonight If I were reborn as a man tonight, I would go for a drive way past my bed time, I’d sit in a bus going anywhere but home, I will spread my legs like I have never before. I’ll sit like this world, has forever been mine.…
आत्मविश्वास लूट थी मोहल्ले में, दोषी ठहराया मुझे, गलती मेरी न थी फिर भी मेरी नज़रों मैं गिराया है मुझे, तोह क्या हुआ जोह मैं अच्छा नही दीखता तोह क्या हुआ जोह मुझमें खामियाँ है, पर मेरी ख़ूबियाँ मेरी खामियो से बढ़कर है, मेरा आत्मविश्वास तुम्हारी उस सोच कर बढ़कर है, जो मेरे इतने ही…
Torn or Strong Stuck they think she is and can’t get out, Tired of fighting; neither she’ll give up, nor she’ll shout. Scared they think she is, scared of things, But it’s the person within who’s scary- she thinks. What’s wrong, what’s broken- who knows? Weakness, sadness – who shows? Moon remains the only eye-witness…
Awareness on Mental Health When you feel cry in your throat, When your heart seems to broke . When you no longer have those feelings, When you lose the hope for ailing . When everything seems dark, When you feel like falling apart When all you see are locked doors, Or a sleepy-silent endless shore.…
Justice is Served I have seen those eyes staring at me Stripping me piece by piece I have felt that touch Unwelcome, Unsettling. I have heard remarks About the shape Of my holy body Turned filthy By the mouths of filthy men. I have fought Against the norms Against the expectations That society forced upon…
Mountain of souls Red water flows on the red stains of the past. They believed we were brave, they were wrong. I scream in silence, and wonder why they can’t hear me. Terror strikes me in the head, I feel drowsy. Their pleads for life, the voice of death, still rings in my ears. Every…
From That moment to This moment That moment, When he felt, he can’t do any further, When he felt ,he wants to give up, When he felt, this was the last try, When, he felt no wave of hope was touching her mind, When, he felt no enjoyment in looking forward When, he felt ,this…
The Home of Love The melancholic tune playing in the background, Was painfully beautiful to the senses, And yet it lacked a certain flavour, A hidden hope that is found in every lament; Pain itself suppressed its cries, As the mournful voice of Sorrow gave the song, A muffled despair, a deep distress; Regret’s voice…
Just Breathe It is often said that the stars we see in the night sky are already dead. And yet I feel, they are the only things keeping me alive. I feel stupidity is really the essence of what we really want to be. Each one of us is afraid of something or the other,…
Longing and Leaving There are hours of longing, trapped in between you and me and when rummaged, these spaces become our silent battlegrounds where you swallow your pride and I swallow mine and we become our own prisoner of war. As these hours rumble into minutes, I run the shores of your rolling sea, to…
The Indian Monk Swami says, God lies within every human being we seek The sin is to think that “WE ARE WEAK”!! The aspect of his life we adore, The readiness to perform any act out of which courage roar!! No fear, is his secret of existence, Being the sum of experiences Giving life consistence!!…
Untitled like, Always It is often said that the stars we see in the night sky are already dead. And yet I feel, they are the only things keeping me alive. I feel stupidity is really the essence of what we really want to be. Each one of us is afraid of something or the…
Life and Death Life and Death fly across the land, leading each other hand in hand. Fighting darkness, war and pain, knowing they cannot win this game. Hope there will be a time, they don’t have to walk this line. Deciding what’s right and wrong, In spite of knowing they are gone. Waiting for time…
Travel to Unravel The sound of the oil burning, Orange, glistening with ghee You could see the craving in people’s eyes For the hot jalebis They were yearning Some women in black some are in red The cost of that saree Is less than What has been said To buy that pair of jhumkas You…
The Blank Paper As my life sits, on this blank paper waiting for me to write those nugatory words that best describes her as I steal glances at those defunct moments to devour my mind allowing me to stand by my poetic self, the pain in my guts scuffles against my throat to come out…
Snowfall Empty room, no lights, Sitting by the windowsill, as I Watch nature’s most beautiful creation fall, slowly As it descends towards the cold surface, I Extend outwards to seize it, as it, Falls on my stretched palm and slips the next moment, Smiling widely, I watch it fall out of my palm, Twinkling and glittering, as…
Waking Up I woke up this morning to the forever intimidating sun, The day looked nothing like fun Unlike every morning, where I follow my routine, Today I started to wonder before I could clean Each day starts with the struggle of mustering up the courage to leave the bed, With the fear that “…
My Solitude Look back and see, those twinkling stars. Go back and know, they are just scars, wrapped in pink paper needles that sting hard. You are ahead now those scars still catching up. Bad times, were they enough to lay the floor you stand upon. Oh, see, they are here but standing six feet…
The Fists Come Down Fists come down, As dictums crumble, Oh how the mighty mock the humble! They hear our grievances, They say that they care… And then lay claim to our dignity, Our rightful share. We raise our voices! We Question your flaws! You silence us again, With your sections and laws. Can justice…
Longingness for a Place Unknown Places that I have not seen, places that I do not belong to, Are the places that I crave the most. For these are the places that make me feel home. They force me to decipher myself. They force me frantically search for all the mysteries buried in me. They…
Self-Portrait as the Girl Lost in Time Make me who I was, the spring flower in winter playing silly games, take me where I came from, where the sunshine made me jump, and the rain made me dance, make me think the way I did, when the grass was green and the water blue, take…
Musings of a transgender kid “Where did I go wrong?”, mourned my love, my mother. “You are a mistake!”, yelled my dad. Then why the preaching of loving one another, Yet rife hate for the rainbow-clad? I used to watch them love with deep ardour, And dive into their gleeful eyes; Then why for the…
The Night Sky Sequined in the night sky, as the stars shine. They tell a million stories, some of yours and a few of mine. Sparkling gems adorn the sky, and you wish to be like them. A dazzling splendour to beautify, and a long road to exempt. As you look upon at night, you…
The Trust in Lies Look closely and you might see, For I talk too much but never speak. And it wasn’t so ‘cause I never shared my heart, Just the people who simply added more scars, For I may be quiet but still scream. It was just the way of the world some would say,…
All her fault ? My voice is only a silent scream Until there’s another Nirbhaya Or Asifa begging for justice on the streets. My life is instantly in threat As the clock strikes eight, And the sun begins to set. Every corner I turn to, Every street I walk, I wait for the demon to…
Dreams in her eyes Dusky shades of sun glowing in her eyes, Butterflies in her belly. And she rises and rises. She saw gloomy skies up and down with her, Laughter echoed in blues and greens, With every push, he made to the swing. “Its getting dark, let’s go home”, he said. She clutched the…
Introspecting the Self Standing under the shower, I came to a conclusion. I’m not a bright sunny day, But a hurricane of confusion. I’m no perfect painting, But a distorted vision. A blurred background. Almost there, Almost. So, today I had a cleansing. As each drop Touched my lunar skin I felt the colours Fade…
Silence Today, His brush was at play. The light crimson sky Showing the world, It’s world. Showing us how Beautiful Serene Tranquil Silence can be. This sky teaches us How nature Is one of the most precious gifts Just by being. How one can find A million answers Embedded in silence. How we tend to…
The Feminist Mirage To the intellect which labels her because she doesn’t sync in, To the whispers which question her psyche. To the opinions which do not match its actions, To the society which is a lying hypocrite. She has crumpled herself to a corner ill-lit, Uncertain about her whereabouts. She’s losing her capabilities, Look…
The Joys of Rain A downpour never comes singly & Brings along with it The pleasures of dancing in the rain The feeling that the first drop of rain induces. The smell of wet mud & the steamy sound of heavy rains falling on the ground. The happiness that the cool showers bring with it.…
My Name: A familiar stranger My name, a beautiful paradox, a word that describes me and yet one that does not define me. Strangers become acquaintance, And then my friends, But why does this journey starts with my name? Wherever I go, whomsoever I meet, First what they ask from me, is my name with…
The Story Unrevealed It was congested That dark room. A woman, sat over there Her face camouflaged Her body numb Her heart lifeless. She started bleeding off her tears, Hearing her own breath Feeling her fading pulse. She heard a noise, a knock! The door was locked She didn’t move, yet something drew Itself inside.…
Solace Sit beside me In the morning blues Don’t speak And let our loneliness Meet and share space See the world In the mist of death Lie… Facing me Under the crimson skies Don’t touch You can’t feel That hollow is hallow The one that lies within you. Now stand, When it’s dark And seek…
The Silent Moonlight Standing in the balcony, staring at the stars Wondering how many secrets the night hides How much love, how much wars But still, in the sky, the moonlight silently resides Thinking about the messages the night give The cries and tears it absorbs Teaching us a way to live Through all those…
The Nostalgic Schooldays It won’t be the same anymore Ground floor ki vo corridor, Ghoomte firte haste gaate, Wo saari khilkhilaati baatein, All those sweet little stories, A 12th graders life and its glories, New paths of life you will be weaving, Starting afresh on roads not taken, Choosing what all others have forsaken, But…
The Undying Death I wanna lay Peacefully, beneath the tall trees And the wild bushes. In the most comfortable bed of earth. Wrapped in the warmth of the fine soil. All around my bare skin As I belong to none; But the earth. Answering to none’s calls And the none’s questions. Away from the heavy…
First Light On an orb of night, when I was in my world of flight. Inactive, inert, out like a light. Unaware that the electricity had taken a long leave, which left everyone boiling in the hot eve. Hours without AC’s or fans, no one was to believe. Then god listened to our entreaty, and…
Where does Love go when it dies? The first man who wrote poetry burned his hands because he couldn’t burn his love I knew a woman who swallowed the sun and died while writing the eighth line of a sonnet “where does love go when it dies?” I don’t write sonnets because my sonnet is…
In My Classroom Someone has a worldly view While someone has no clue Someone wants his/her voice heard while someone is an introvert nerd Someone is here to live life fully While someone’s life is troubled by a bully Someone is a classroom clown While someone is feeling down Someone is a buddy-buddy While someone…
Kashmir: The Picturesque The valley echoes the ripples of the lake, When the Shikaras trammel the sight to the Sierra, And the dance and whispers of trees, With the crisp breeze. The feels from within, though, you haven’t been These tiny jonquils by the boulevards, And pretty little things inside the shops, And markets lit…
It is where you belong Last time I went to my hometown, I sat in the fields and stretched my legs, Folded up my sleeves and let the sunlight mark its presence on my skin, And that reminded me of Sia and how she always said, “My California’s sunshine make the red bricks burn down…
Longing and Leaving There are hours of longing, trapped in between you and me and when rummaged, these spaces become our silent battlegrounds where you swallow your pride and I swallow mine and we become our own prisoner of war. As these hours rumble into minutes, I run the shores of your rolling sea, to…
16 December: A Date to Remember Soul sucked out and captured Moreover, death came to change a fate Breath stopped and heart gave up To save her, it was too late Skies announced the victory Part of an evil game A life with the rule of hell Nothing except the name was same Angels did…
The Lone Survivor Physical nourishment is not his only need, Some spiritual means are needed for a man to lead; His discoloured hand with some black speckles, Worked oneself to the bone, see those freckle; Still cradles a smile which has lost lustre and brightness, At one’s pleasure venom his blood with drink, sit there…
Phrasing Tranquility The one thing which people yearn for and is brutally shattered in pieces, Is peace. Women want peace to go out and have fun, And that nobody make them remove their clothes at the point of a gun. She wants to wear whatever she likes, Without worrying about being ogled every time. Men…
AN EXTRAORDINARY IDIOT Each petite footstep , prophecy of dart Timidness in eyes , Vetrouwen in hart Day by day , month by month Soon , ordeal ending , a non performing asset Mistook as hollow , was an anthe Truthful was she , si malum esset Day of birth , shortened the girth Emotions…
The Expressions of Peace Writing this poem wasn’t my intent, But what can I do my heart is filled with unexplainable content. With the memories of my loved ones over which I can cry, As they are the ones on whom I rely. These feelings of love and joy overwhelms my soul, More than a…
Do you know Peace? Do you know where peace is Which country, which city, Which street has its home Do you know how peace looks Does it wear a Burkha Or a turban Or simply t-shirt and jeans Do you know how peace talks Does it sing Or scream Or shout slogans Do you know…
The Quest for Peace A lump in my throat, There were feelings untold Everything was there where it should be The only thing not was the old me There were fears Without a thing to be scared There were tears Without a reason declared But sadness was not something I could possess The playful image…
Denotations of Peace For some it is feeding dogs For others it might be helping someone pick up logs For some it is visiting the old age home For others it might be a trip to some monument’s dome Meeting kids can make someone smile And some become happy even if you walk with them…
Once I was told a fairytale Once I was told a fairy tale Prince charming from a distant land Before his bravery no one could stand Arrogant enough not to hunt in band Went to jungle,on a new trail Once I was told a fairy tale In the same jungle, a girl came Far away…
An Indian Goddess Girlchild A land having heritage of over thousands years old, Once known as the land of gold, Where kings and queens ruled majestically and bold, Goddesses are worshipped, which over thousands hold, A land where people pray to goddess of wealth Maybe that’s why every single day; a girl gets killed for…
CHILDHOOD IS ETERNAL Childhood for me was orange candies, And the crayon box I so much fancied. Dreams for me were something I had to enjoy and not achieve, My soul vibrant and my mind freed. I had an empty crisp canvas in front of me and every colour in my hand to fill it,…
An Unseen Presence When I’m lonely I hear some voice, ‘I’m there’ it says but usually I avoid, A voice very humble, a voice very pure, I avoided every time but still it sounds in the same humble tone, I tried to search the fount of it, It’s presence still there wherever I sit, The…
A Tribute to the Indian Army Din bhi wahi tha Or raat bhi wahi thi Subah wahi thi Shaam wahi thi Sarhad se aayi Khabar bhi wahi thi Chaar jawano ki humare Shahadat jo hui thi Jab border paar se Kayaron ki goli unpar chali thi Mantri ji ki dastan Ek baar phir wahi thi…
KALYUG Ishwar ye kaisa kalyug tu laya, Jahan khilti thi dhoop kabhi, vahan reh gai bas chhaya, Jisse samjhte the apna shubh chintak, Aaj vahi sabse bada dushman aur sabse jyada ghatak. Kal tak karte the apne maa – baap ki pooja jo, Aaj unhe hi peet rahe lathi se vo, Jiss stri ne purush …
The Mother’s Pain In a world where she’s so respected, she needs to be protected, This poem is about no other, Today I talk about the Earth, our mother. The behaviour of her children seems to be surprising, Who’ve just turned a blind eye as her problems keep rising. She provides the condition that allow…
Daag Achche Hai Janm leti hi katl huya kyunki ladke hi vaaris sachche hai, Ek maasoom k khoon se range hai haath par daag to achche hai, Vaishyavritti mein dhakeli gaye, kaanoon kewal kaagzi parche hai, Laga uski chunri pe daag par daag to achche hai, Jeevan dene ki shamta use mili, uspe bhagwaan k…
The Suppressed Streak I’m an adult for I am twenty-one, But just sometimes the peeping darkness in me clouds the most radiant sun. Mostly I do keep my breath and flesh together, But just sometimes being an adult pierces the soul I’d gather. This is me, I’ve chosen this life, It’s like a deliberate encounter…
A Touch Too Aware A touch too aware, forever and always. Of the weight on my shoulders and the pull of gravity, dragging me towards the ground; Of my indomitable soul and spirit, that keeps me upright, nonetheless; Of my throbbing head, and shaky knees and tiring feet; Of the oxygen and fire and energy…
A Requiem for my father When he was growing up, T’was the era of the sixties The culture of soulful Jazz, the twin-colored pictures He was raised not in a household, but in an ‘army camp’ Where he was mindful of his duty and made to vie for a Govt. stamp. He wrought incessantly, a…
OUR LIONESS ‘ GAURI LANKESH’ Tell us what wrong Gauri Lankesh had done? For the debacle, the so called ’Nationalits’ had won. Is our freedom to speak so suppressed. Like the today’s mountain jutting from the trough and crest. It seems as if the whole world was against her For what she had done was…
Partition Abiding the pitter-patter, the rattling rain Submerged to tip, toeing in Sutlej’s wet sandy grains; Below the searing storm of heavens, the bellowing roar of decry, Constant cankering crying croppers, justly punished by the sky. ‘Oh Lord’, they weep, swearing about the injustice, Who slaughtered brothers like sheep? Who forgone armistice? No ravages of…
Anamnesis of Friendship For those childhood friends which we forget about, but then regret it. A shared secret, in that juvenile hiding place, Recalling with crystal clarity, my first friend’s face. Intertwining memories of pulling poignant pranks, Or just innocently holding hands. Reminiscing about childhood friends and callow ways, Serenely smiling in bliss, sitting in…
Fairytale Bliss In a place so deserted, In a dark night like this I came where it all began looking for some fairytale bliss. The wobbly walls and the creaking door led to something known, a feeling old but felt before. From that retro dialer, Grandpa’s rocking chair To those needles of granny All made…
War: The Bitter Truth A war is a small trend but life cries till end. All of us loose But why again we choose? The real war is after the war… And that is for sure When the dead arrives home Quietly saying…they were the gnome. All of them wrote see you soon… But now…
Interlude Awake at four this morning, My heart clutched at everything Everything that mattered, And some which didn’t even. It was morning already, But calm & soft as ever The world around me silent, And still crinkled a drop of tear. A drop that turned into a puddle, And slowly I was all evolved Evolved…
Teenage…A Little Rage Through the eyes of a teenager I see the big greedy world! Getting up everyday and looking at blue skies! Deciding to make another try…. Yes, I see my success….and off to school! I see my loved ones and feel my sadness is way down! And I ask seriously, is it on…
The Journey The only blaze that shone, Was taken at the eleventh hour of need, Exasperated, she continued; Seeking something that was hard to come by, The unknown walkways clearing out as she passed, She realized the shackles she thought were just her feet. She couldn’t see the shining light, But she knew exactly where…
The House Opposite my Window Broken pieces that’s all I could see, From the stainless window, Standing on the sill I prayed, For the calm of this tornado. I glanced once more with open eyes, Wondering if the view would change, Disappointed I turned away again, The hope I had now felt really strange. After…
A Happy Ending? On the moon we walk, Of the stars we talk. On the earth we live, For the stars we strive. Of a world we imagine, With equal rights for all On the lands we stand, At the cost of others blood, we are bound. The stories of the past, We recite to…
Vicissitude With shackles around hands and tears down the cheeks She dragged herself to the shore of the sea. The tides touch low at her feet washing away the feculence of the bygone time, When the credulous she was so easily fleeced. The sun rising far across the distance of the marine As the waves…
A Wishful Artistry I wish to make wonderful art With sheer competence and a cheerful heart. How do I begin, I wonder? With a tint of magic out of squander. I know I am a newbie thou art But I wish to give it a bloomy start. I aspire to make out something fresh More…
Wall Flower I stood there in a corner Silent and all smiling, Holding a glass of wine A glass with sparkles And a grin so full of shine. I widened the grin with every passing stranger, no matter what storm it was. A storm? Oh! Really? It was a celebration after all. I continued to…