The news of ends came mounting the whitest clouds; they showered each time I shivered a cool drizzle as soft as mother’s kiss that got warmer by the moment falling upon me. Each loved one went silently down; bubbles…
‘Elegy’ by Prathap Kamath
‘Poets don’t allow poems to take an aeroplane’ by Prathap Kamath
Poets don’t allow poems to take an aeroplane; they are afraid of the heights it might take their lines to. They believe that poetry should stand firmly on firm ground. If it flies, it should fly on its…
‘Sinking’ by Prathap Kamath
Sinking When the waters refuse To swallow the sails Sinking When the body blooms And the mind rots Sinking When all that laughter won’t Wipe a little pain Sinking When the blood of life Goes black with…
‘Morning’ by Prathap Kamath
Water boils in the steel pot held over the blue flame; bubbles rising from the bottom as small as mustard seeds move up in a tornado growing as they swirl to surface big and strong as life…
‘THE DOMESTIC MAID’ by Anita Desai
Short story selected for the 2014 New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology The mighty sun was rising on the city. The birds had taken flight on a new day. The city was abuzz with early morning activities; milk and newspaper…
‘The Night’ by Dipima Buragohain
Right in the middle of the starclad night, The fireflies nestle my delicate dreams, Over the beaming moon Blush the naive hopes. It’s a glasshouse of choices, Choices that are made with Each glorious sunshine and Every dark blue twillight.…
‘Through Love’s Great Power’ by Vikram Seth
Through love’s great power to be made whole In mind and body, heart and soul – Through freedom to find joy, or be By dint of joy itself set free In love and in companionhood: This is the true and…
‘A Thousand Pieces of Me’ by Dipima Buragohain
The rainbow sky, And its crimson dye, The hailstorm glove Of the insane love, The maddening rush Of the hopeful crush, Of all the catchings and snatchings, Of dreaming and screaming, What words and swords, What lies and cries, Of…
‘The Wanderer in the Snow’ by Siddharth Varma
Short story selected for the 2014 New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology He stood atop the lonely mountain amidst the snow and howling wind. Cold as ice, the emptiness in him made him feel so shallow that he could not…
‘An Unwritten Song’ by Sonam Dema
A thousand stars A lone moon A lonely boy And I, a night-sky. A thousand promises A love song A paper lover And I, a perpetual dreamer. A thousand voyages A waning solace A passing sailor And I,…
‘UNDERCURRENT’ by Daya Bhat
“Who am I?” She nudges and nobbles, “A mere spectator? A non-reformer? But so are you!” She sneers in obstinacy Dares to challenge! “My dwelling bound by wood and glass. Margins defined – space confined. I have done no good…