The Elemental Quartet - By Amulya G

Written By: Amulya G

Category: Prose-Poetry Hybrid

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Amulya G graces the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 with "The Elemental Quartet," a compelling piece in the Creative Writing category. A prose-poetry hybrid, this work takes readers on a profound journey through life's perpetual cycles. With a candid and introspective narrative, Amulya explores themes of identity, change, and self-discovery. This submission is a testament to the power of personal reflection and the ever-changing nature of life.

About the Work

"The Elemental Quartet" delves deeply into the author's personal experiences and emotions, weaving a narrative that is both introspective and universal. The work is characterized by its vivid imagery and a candid voice that captures the essence of life's unpredictable journey. Through a blend of prose and poetry, Amulya G explores the nuances of identity and the pursuit of certainty, creating a tapestry of thoughts that resonate with readers on many levels.

The Elemental Quartet

Original Submission by Amulya G

THE ELEMENTAL QUARTET

This is my first competent piece.

And It's also a lifelong cycle of mine I have come to learn. More of a roller coaster, actually. A whirlwind! Or, to put it fancily:

“A cyclone of the elements which encircles me.

Clad in a dark suit,

Rose tinted spectacles.

Carrying a treasure trove

Filled with confections, candles, and clarinets,

Held in a briefcase's skin.”

Crazy? You expect me to say things like that as a poet. Actually, I expected myself to say things like that. Anyway, back to that lifelong cycle of mine.

1. Man Plans, And God Laughs

For the very first decade of life, my preferred playmates were also boys. I never consciously assumed they were better. I thought them silly. However, the times I played with girls, they made me the dad. So I thought them, soft. For a labeled social animal, I didn’t befriend most people. I thought I was better than others.

Consequently, I rode into my tween years on a white horse, there to assert my dominance, all high and mighty. I wouldn’t get involved with boys or boyfriends! Hence the white horse. How I was humbled.

CAPTIVATINGLY BURNED

Captivating were those

Who lit in me

A feeling akin to fire.

One of a kind

They are,

The females who I admired.

God she looks beautiful!

Burned the words in my mind.

At my every gaze upon females,

one of a kind.

The facade strung a smile

As thought fluttered, stuttered, and staggered.

When my gaze found theirs

fervid thought left logic laggard.

It did, but didn’t

Feel unique.

Was I one of the masses?

Or was I unique?

Because at the time I sought to catch her eye.

But Female am I.

2. I Tried, God Laughed Harder

Growing up nobody called me a tomboy. At least not to my face. Everyone said, you act like a boy, you dress like a boy. There’s a difference, believe me. What was said politely behind my back is a healthy characteristic. But by the time I was five, my extended relatives had openly summarised my entire identity into one comical anecdote. “There was your dolled up sister and then, there was you! Clad in shorts!”

The boy-cut at eleven only solidified my ancient reputation. An ancient reputation for the old soul that I was fatedly becoming. The comment, “You are your sister’s brother” was thrown around a bit. And honestly, boys were lining up at the doorstep and I was holding the shotgun, metaphorically speaking. And they weren’t there for me.

I wondered why they weren’t. Was I not beautiful? Or did I not want them? I wondered a lot.

PLAGUING WAVES

Attractive, people call those they fancy.

Yet my mind

Came to my fancy as my mind fanatically lost at sea.

Waves of passions

Plagued yet captivated my heart.

Tired and afraid of the passions that stubbornly, unrelentingly I seemed to possess for maidens and men, ladies and lads,

In my heart.

Always two sides! In two minds!

The Infinite pair accompanied every thought, moment and crisis!

Desperate to comprehend these passions to an

Understanding,

Logic or

Thesis.

All that struggle hidden

Behind a tomboy charade.

As all sides riddled of self doubt,

Was it feeling or facade?

3. I Asked, Better Now? God Howled Boring!

When I was thirteen I read Gone With The Wind. And Amma and I, loved to discuss the part when Scarlett O'Hara realizes she never really loved Ashley Wilkes, she only loved the illusion of him that she had created. Yeah change, I came to understand over four long years, is like that very illusion. The idea of it is amazing. The therapy, meditation and mindfulness all seem fabulous. Until you realize, it's fabulously boring.

You can use other words such as refreshing, mind-opening, life changing but in the end. At the end, it boils down to its strenuous, monotonous, and boring. Because in the day, when someone else is changing your posture and changing how you regulate your breathing, it's all fine. But in the night, when your thoughts are doing the same, changing your normalcy, it's not. We fight it. Why? Think about it.

Those last words, the most life-changing thing I ever did.

CHANGED AIR

Repeated affirmations reflected by the mirror.

Repeated confessions hurdled through an air of fear.

Late nights and early mornings

A change in the air after self-mourning.

Journals filled with diary notes.

Books heavy of romance novel quotes.

Healing, relishing, both sides of the dime.

Not the work of a single epiphany

But a great deal of thought over a great deal of time.

4. I Said, Certainly! God Huffed, Hopefully

CONFOUNDING EARTH

Finally! Finally! Her mind has found ground.

With her feet on the Earth, and

Her logic arrived late, though sound.

From why, when, how, and why again!

This clashing feeling isn't so reeling

The Infinite pair at last

United despite fate's dealing!

Her mind and body, vines of a tree intertwined.

Now having noticed that this being is silver lined.

As her strength and structure may be masculine

Yet confoundingly, the roots are beautifully and utterly Feminine.

Change is the only constant. Agreed? This poem is also ever-changing. One day it's my deepest truth. The next day, it's the biggest lie that ever left my mouth. I am never certain. It's the circle of my life. I have no control. Ironically this final poem is a grasp for certainty on my part. Because certainty is pursued by most in ways we don’t even notice. Children cry for their favorite blankets when it gets dark, elders prepare the same breakfast every morning for certainty. Parents spend a fortune on their child’s education based on an advertisement of future certainty!

The person in this poem, I can certainly say, exists only in a perfectly controlled world. But here in the sometimes, chaotically passionate world. It’s only proof that I have been certain before. Wherever you are now, you have hopefully been certain before, and will be again. But we are ever-changing. And that's constant.

This "piece," as I like to call it, showcases a four-year struggle of mine. Don't get me wrong- as you now know, it started way before those four crucial years, and is lasting much longer than I thought it would. Or should! But those tender years of 12, 13, 14, and 15 were its peak. Weren’t they?

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates diverse voices and artistic expression. This platform provides an opportunity for writers to showcase their talent and creativity, engaging with a community that values the art of storytelling. Participants explore various themes and styles, contributing to a rich tapestry of literary art that is both inspiring and thought-provoking.

Thank you, Amulya G, for sharing "The Elemental Quartet" with us for the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your work offers a unique perspective on life's cycles and the quest for understanding. We appreciate your contribution to this year's competition and are grateful for the insights your writing brings.

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.