Fingerpaint - By Nirvana Soogreem

Written By: Nirvana Soogreem

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the vibrant tapestry of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Nirvana Soogreem presents "Fingerpaint," a touching short story. With a poignant exploration of emotional resilience, this narrative delves into the depths of pain and the transformative power of grief. Soogreem, under the pen name "Fingerpaint," offers a work that is both intimate and universal, capturing the essence of human endurance.

About the Work

"Fingerpaint" by Nirvana Soogreem is a deeply evocative piece that explores themes of pain, grief, and eventual healing. With vivid imagery and raw emotion, the story portrays the transformative journey from despair to acceptance. Soogreem's powerful use of metaphor and symbolism invites readers to reflect on their own experiences, emphasizing the beauty that can emerge from life's scars and imperfections.

Fingerpaint

Original Submission by Nirvana Soogreem

Fingerpaint

Come here, the weak

Find me, the weary

For I know that life can be dreary

The person you loved has walked away

To be loved by someone else in another way

Or you’re forced to cope with a loss beyond your own control

And it hurts like hell, my darling, I know

I feel it most times

When I lay awake at night

And all I want to do is bolt up and fight

All the forces that hurt me

Everyone who abandoned me

But it was never them who made me feel

So weak and so angry.

It was the grief and the pain which morphed

Like a wounded animal crying for help

Everyone assumed because it roars it means harm and danger

When all it wanted was a means to stop the pain.

It needed help.

It feels endless, the pain

Agony which drags through your heart like a streak of incompetent paint on a beautiful artwork At the time the paint is all you can see, for it is an entirely separate shade from the surrounding artwork. It is stark and bold and still wet and raw.

It is a new, foreign to the touch

When you dip your hands to remove it, it stains your fingers

And sifts beneath your nails

And encrusts into the crevices of your skin

You find it on your clothes when you're in public

Or your hair in the shower

Even on your new white bed sheets.

You loathe the paint and the stain but never wash it away

Because the colour reminds you of the shade the sky was before it fell and the colour turned from love to loss.

So you keep the colour.

You then begin to get desperate.

You rub the colour across your chest, douse your fingers deep into your heart and scoop more and coat your body in it until you’re entirely saturated with the colour.

You liberally stain your hair with it

And vigorously dye your clothes in it

And thrust your body against every wall in your bedroom to paint your walls in it.

You even cover your mirror with it so you can see the colour instead of yourself. Handprints, smudges, even your blood is flaked with it

So desperate you find your fingers plunging, reaching deeper down

And scraping paint into your mouth and glutinously sucking it just to feel closer to you Till even your teeth are coated in it

Like thick and pasty chocolate reveling between your gums

Forming strings of the colour as you separate your lips

You even inject the colour into your tear ducts so that when you feel like crying you’re blinded by it.

And you know you let your nose bleed because the colour seeps out from your brain and you’d adore to see it on the tissue like a proving of the depth of your love.

You wash your face with it in the morning and before you sleep at night. And watch it trickle down your lips like honey, only to you, the colour is sweeter. Well what is the colour?

I'd love to say your eyes

But then you’d think it brown.

But it's more than a rigid colour.

It’s not primary or secondary, it’s divinity

Beyond a restricted spectrum or any colourwheel

It's a colour not developed yet because nothing matches the feel.

Yet as time marches or sometimes even races

The colour begins to dry.

It doesn't mean it's leaving or that you loved it less.

Something more beautiful happens.

It dries into the artwork and becomes part of the painting

It's still stark and bold but now emphasises the beauty of the masterpiece as a whole No one knows it was the result of the artists rage and fury

And no one knows it was a mistake

No one knows how hungry the canvas was when it engulfed the paint.

People admire the artwork as an entirety of a story.

The colour became part of the picture and no longer overpowers and controls the artwork But it is a component that made the painting exactly what it is.

And the art is never truly complete but rest assured it will never be ugly

Because each dash of paint only creates a more impactful story

Each blotching or scorching or smudge perfects the canvas with imperfections And whether planned, unplanned, experimented or refined

The painting will never be less than sublime

Because just as human flesh is christened with scars

Each fall and break is merely a sign from the stars

To learn and grow and repair twice as strong.

So every painting is never really wrong.

Some use brushes and some use their hands

And the intimate process of painting is beyond just action from man.

-Vana

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious event celebrating the power of words and creativity. Writers from around the world share their unique voices, contributing to a rich tapestry of thought-provoking and inspiring literary works. The competition highlights the importance of storytelling as a tool for connection and understanding.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Nirvana Soogreem for sharing "Fingerpaint" in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your compelling narrative offers a profound exploration of grief and transformation, resonating deeply with readers. Thank you for contributing your voice to this celebration of creative expression.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.