Spillage

You thought the day I first wore lipstick,
I became a show-off,
Got a stiff upper lip,

When all I did
Was to nervously cover up
The run-over colour on my teeth.

First published in Hakara, 15 Jan 2018.

Cursory

When you ask, “How are you?”
You’re asking how I am, 
How I continue to be
Day after day
In this world
Relentless

That’s going to take longer than a jiffy
So I suggest you come back later
When you’re looking to specialise in the course,
Not betting that you’d just browse and breeze through it.

First published in Hakara, 15 Jan 2018.

Loose contact

A flicker, a shiver, a flash of the old spark:
That’s all the warning we get 
Of a seemingly sudden

And actually quietly brewing death
That starts with simmer, ends with boil
Because of loose contact
Because we lose contact
With “reality”.

First published in Hakara, 15 Jan 2018.

Choice

I’d rather pay for my words
Than have others pay for my silence.
That I even have a choice
Is because for me others had raised their voice.


First published in Hakara, 15 Jan 2018.

The fine print

Whisper, it gives you wings.
Just not wingspan enough
To cut across a temple courtyard
And sometimes, a kitchen threshold.


First published in Five2One Magazine, 6 Jan 2018.

Overtime

The smiling faces you envy,
They’re on duty,
Working every minute
To create happiness.

First published in Five2One Magazine, 6 Jan 2018.

Premature rescue

To dream of falling into an endless abyss,
To wake up at the edge of the cliff,
To be grateful for safety,
To be saved from knowing
What it is
To take a leap
Into the great unknown.

First published in Five2One Magazine, 6 Jan 2018.