Poetry

By Sejal Garg Do neighbors change us—just a bit, or a lot? A deep question, worth a thought. We see their ways, both calm and loud, We learn from them, we feel so proud. I saw them shout, I saw them clean, It made me feel things I hadn’t seen. Since childhood days when we first cried, We’ve soaked in things from every side. Their habits grow, their words can stay— So guard your mind in your own way. By Sejal Garg

By Sejal Garg  Writing life daily, With ink—all regularly. Unspeakable tasks are done, For lessons or just for fun. Can't be erased, Missed, or spaced. It stays and is carried, Keeps us all tense and worried. Shh! It’s a secret none re-live, But I know it—can’t forgive. By Sejal Garg

By Sejal Garg Failure chased me rigorously, But I gained strength gradually. I sought the path to success, By working hard in excess. Left no stone unturned, With no shame, I returned— To the ultimate question’s precision: What is my mission? Explored while lost in dreams, Finally met some trash and some cream. Life is hell, life is heaven. But nothing can be kept or taken. By Sejal Garg

By Sejal Garg Planned with my mind, Leaving the world behind. Checklists and notes, Yet my mind still chokes. Blocked by knots, no work, no fun, Dopamine releases none. "Take baby steps," said someone, Until you find the one. My ikigai, where are you? I found you—now lost you… By Sejal Garg

By Jorge Martínez By Jorge Martínez

By Zoe Parra Deep into the ocean shines a sunset sky, where the flawless current releases the mind. Deep into the ancient sand, where the secrets hide, thin grains of wisdom whisper in a certain rhythm. Nature and life  happily collide. Nature and life  worryingly doubt. In an island full of water, both in sea and land; in an island full of green, both in land and heart. Deep mountain water, deep shallow sky… let destiny bridge  to this fate so soft and blind. Calming boats a

By Zoe Parra Si la paz es solamente ausencia de guerra, existimos en una eterna blanca tormenta… Y cada remolino que brindaban las blancas nubes   /   cegaban la inmensa pureza blanquecina —aquella pureza llena de imprudencia— Blanco nieve   /   blanco sol   / blanco dolor. Dolor cual pálido e indefenso   /   dolor cual alma alborotada. Nubes   /   grandes nubes plenas de anhelos y ojala-no-estar-aquí… regresar siquiera un milímetro las manecillas de los relojes   /    reloje

By Zoe Parra Aquel día soleado pleno de azul, de alegría y decoro. La dignidad brillaba con el sol, al igual que aquellos ojos cuyo color se difundían en tal fulgor. Vastas nubes llegaban del lado oscuro del corazón, del lado quebrado e insensato. La penumbra cubría el anhelo, y su sonrisa se desvaneció. Ya no ve su reflejo en la intensidad del sol. ¡Cuán vastas aquellas nubes que sofocaron su resplandor! By Zoe Parra

By Zoe Parra Los colores danzan al amanecer. Aparece el sol entre las nubes. El azul comienza a crecer, a resplandecer con intenso fulgor. Los amarillos y naranjas se desvanecen, se esconden entre las montañas que en el dulce horizonte aparecen para mezclarse con el blanco acomodado en finas murallas. La luz comienza a renacer, se agranda el sol esperanzado, el ambiente del alba empieza a colmar en aquellos lóbregos ojos perdidos. ¡Cuan diamante aquel azul! Resplandeciente do

By Kalpana Manimohan woeful evening, rain greets a ride to calm, the soul needs i turn my back to the setting sun darkness come embrace me travel without an end in sight direction didn’t matter petrol tank, eyes gone bankrupt in the black my sanity gone lost it entirely in my despair energy spent, i grovel home that should be solace  but was reason for my ripped heart “where were you till so late?” “what’s the time, how irresponsible!” he questions with audacity barely twelve

By Kalpana Manimohan I passed by a canal Filled half the way In the moonless night Reflecting the street lamps Hard to see my reflection Through brimming tears Gentle waves throw me off Waves in eyes or water below The dark waters invite With open arms it beckons Waves whisper its call I see my distorted reflection Something lurks beneath Breaks my image, liken  To the heart that’s shattered From words that stabbed A waist-high excuse For a barrier to climb Easy enough to end

By Kalpana Manimohan empty bed again. second night this week. week after week where do you go.  go to whatever keeps your company. company that is not mine, every night.  night comes and lying in bed i wait. wait for the familiar ding of the phone.  phone shows you are online. online means texting someone. someone who is just not me.  me you left to fend the night demons alone. alone it gets suffocating so I leave. leave the haunting house to drink. drink god’s bitter sweet l

By Kalpana Manimohan Hove you heard of the moron, Oxy After a girl who was way too foxy Poor fella must have thought Probably hit a jackpot Ignorant that she was a maniac Loved her to the moon and back Yodeled, did not mollycoddle Made him mad with her twaddle Amok he ran, a headless chicken Real men won’t be panic-stricken Resigned to his despairing fate In a bottle he dived to hydrate Evolved to show how his name carried Doomed irony of happily married By Kalpana Manimohan

By Kalpana Manimohan I want to….. cage a hug BUT I hug a cage care to study BUT I study the care talk to question BUT I question the talk silence the ruin BUT I ruin the silence plan to push BUT I push the plan voice a need BUT I need a voice delight in a search BUT I search for delight use my hunour BUT I humour by use lie on trust BUT I trust a lie hug a mistake BUT I mistake a hug kiss an insult BUT I insult a kiss mate a crush BUT I crush a mate touch to hope BUT I hope t

By Kalpana Manimohan I have vomit all over me My hair’s not combed in days Shot every other day with pee Some days are just a craze The house smells of fresh poop I should buy over Drypers The human udders are a droop You should come with your own mouth wipers Some things have not changed Like late nights we have had It used to be because of movie dates It’s now feeding and rocking instead And then you give a toothless grin So wide and full of life It stops our world from its

By Kalpana Manimohan Have you done the LEGO dance? tip-pity by toe tale of woe yow, ow, everywhere I go Have you done the wet floor dance? wet floor, just been mopped I must waltz Sorry ‘bout the clear shoe marks Have you done the sneak home dance? past the two clock chimes not to wake pointe in, or risk mum awake Have you done the avoi-dance? cha cha to the left now the right miss the arrow and his sight Have you done the sleepy leg dance? bent knee, bounce a bit hop on hip

By Kalpana Manimohan To whom it may concern, (Particularly the creatures I helped create) Gentle reminder, not a spurn In my sanctuary, my time in the shower It’s regarded as my sacrosanct hour I could be meditating or trying levitating Venerating or even thinking of relegating Going to Vienna on a broomstick Or perhaps trying on a new lipstick Soaking under running hot water Easing the aches like nothing else matter I might be just sitting and staring Dreaming of a dragon th

By Kalpana Manimohan Help! Help! It’s an invasion! There’s a 3-foot monster in my bed Giving me an abrasion Bedtime everyday fills me with dread By Kalpana Manimohan

By Kalpana Manimohan “Be a teacher, it’s a calling,” they said. “It will be fulfilling, trust me,” they muscled. “Make a difference,” they got in my head. I think I have been majorly hustled! Eight alarm timings at 5-minute intervals Buzzing to get me out of bed Finally I am up, LATE, Debating taking an MC in my head Then I think of assigning work to my class Having to trouble 4 different colleagues I decide it is easier to just got to school Despite all my fatigues! I get so

By Abraham Fashakin I thought I loved Her For Her soul. For Her infectious energy, a catalyst for excitement to rise, Her presence, A clear indication She has arrived, Her personality,  Shining like the ever present sun. But one fateful night— I thought about the future. I thought about how I would feel; how She would feel if we were together. Thinking it over, I thought about severing our relationship; about breaking the chain  between Her and me. The chain refused to break.