Three Poems

By Anisha Dutt

 

You & Me

Body, stamped, ornate and pure.

My body, your body. Sealed.

Beliefs erect dry rivers.

Words spark fire, smoldering myths.

Whispering in the night of the dead.

The ferocity of the innocence

Makes the heads covered in blood, count.

Stop. Silence. Kill.

Yet, we shall be heard.

In the heart of the pauper,

In the power of the destitute,

In the words of the hopeless.

What they say,

Is what we are apathetic towards.

A long way, it is.

Many miles to go.

 

 

Old memories, old lanes

A deep longing

what’s it like

to be home?

to see yourself

via prisms of dreams?

Is the sun brighter?

or is the moon more inviting?

what is it

that calls out to the soul?

the floor beneath the self,

the tainted walls

all sing in tune.

 

 

Deep sleep

When you wake up from your slumber, remember that I called

When you see the shimmering ocean under the moon, remember the glittering tears

When you see the warm smiles, look closely and you will see the dead souls.

When you clasp someone’s hand, remember those whom you abandoned.

When you walk with the wind, remember those whom you walked away from.

When you glow with happiness, remember those whom you pushed in the dark.

When you look at the rosy picture, remember the veins that exploded for it.

When you celebrate my success, remember that I lost in order to win.

When you think you have had enough of this world, do remember our shattered spirits.

When you enjoy the serenity of the ocean, remember the tornado within us.

When you ignore my existence, just know that my silence will haunt you.

When you wake up from your slumber, I might be gone.

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Author Bio: Anisha Dutt grew up in New Delhi, India and moved to NY to pursue her BS in International Studies from Rochester Institute of Technology, where she specialized in issues of Gender and Globalization. She currently works as a Programme Associate in Public Education and Advocacy at TARSHI (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues) in New Delhi, India. Her poems have previously been published in Montreal Serai, a Canadian Journal. For Anisha, poetry works as a propellant and carries her forward in life. It helps her understand the various shades of the world better. In the future, she plans to write on issues concerning gender rights, sexuality, violence and genocide, race, media and human rights.