My mother asked why I sleep so much, and I didn’t know how to explain that dreams are the only doors you still remember to knock on. She wondered if I was depressed, If my life was the reason And I didn’t know how to explain That you come in like a storm,  and tear my city apart. She often thought I was daydreaming, Like a child watching the T.V. in a red cape, And I didn’t know how to explain that I’d been meaning– That I was waiting for you at the threshold. Even when you a

I cannot choose between empathy and regulations, no—I don't understand labels on relations. I care for a rabbit as I would for a tiger, and for everyone else—for they see me as a provider. I dream of the world resting in my hand, Like a mother comforting her child in a distant land. I’m not great at arguments, that’s true, But I’d never leave a life or a lament in view. My dad wanted to be everything, A lawyer, a writer, a musician, and king. But life doesn’t wait for those w

I met god in an alleyway, and he asked for a cigarette, He hushed me down when I passed it– as though we’ve a secret. The alley was dark, and the footpath wet, When I asked him if we had ever met. He smiled faintly, not lifting up his hat, He said you're not the first one to ask me that. Amusement danced on his fingertips, as he lit the cig, And then he bent down to grab a broken twig. He bore his eyes onto it when he rubbed it against the wall, Specks of fire emerged as he s

The morning after I killed myself, my kin would find me free—for the first time in forever, from the weight of expectations and the burden of liabilities. My parents would weep a little, and then some more, and when there are no more tears left to cry,  they'll put week-old clothes out to dry. The morning after I killed myself, my bed would remain the same. The poetry that I never completed would now be cherished in everyone’s frame. They would exaggerate about how great I wa

have you ever waited for a moment that would make sense in this senseless world? have you ever waited for a day where you would cut off  the tags on clothes that still stay? have you ever looked for places to stick the stickers you  saved for a ‘special occasion’? have you ever saved a song because it felt too perfect to play on an ordinary day? have you ever written a letter you never meant to send, just to feel the weight of words leave your hands? have you ever held onto a

It was a red chiffon kurti. A bright red chiffon kurti. A white embroidery bright red chiffon kurti. And it was 2 PM. I was walking through the streets just like any day. I greeted the tea seller and bought a samosa for myself. I was walking through the streets just like any day. The oddity walked towards me, but I didn’t think much of it. Not until he grabbed my wrist, Or snatched my bag. Not until he held my breath with his two hands. It was a red chiffon kurti. A bright re

i love how my smile is so wide, like i'm in an amusement park and this is my favourite ride; i love how my mood lightens up, when you don’t know what to say and just mutter “sup”; i love how your touch sends shivers up my spine, like your heart and mine has the same design; i love how my hand fits in yours just right, it feels like my favourite jacket hugging my body tight; i love how your gaze grazes over mine, you make me feel like all the stars are in align; i love it when

are people bad or they’re just people who sometimes do bad things, Is the hero who sacrificed his love for the world truly someone admiring? are people bad or they’re just people who sometimes do bad things, is the villain who saved the little puppy but burned the village, full of immorality? are people bad or they’re just people who sometimes do bad things, Is the mother who steals food and clothes any better than someone committing robbery? are people bad or they’re just pe

I am all the things that he is, and I am even more. Must I always prove myself when he is even not? Dress like this, speak like that,  make sure someone’s ego does not fall flat. Curls of my hair, paints on my nails, and the dream takes a sail, oh this isn’t fair! Feminism, they say, what’s the need? Oh dear, it is until you pay heed! A veil of perfection,  to be the crème de la creme of the selection. Equality you need, equality you get,  but who will see to it— that our nee