By Nalini Priyadarshni
Come to the Summer of my Arms
Come to the summer of my arms
the winter of our discontent has lasted too long
peppering our wisdom with salt and snow
settling into nook and crannies of our being
shadows of the moon on your forehead
has lengthened to reach our eyes
that have been growing dim
with each revolution of earth.
Come to the summer of my arms
we have harvested too long the silence
sown with the best of intentions
that has been whittling us beyond recognition
think of the moles and the birth marks that
need to be salvaged before we forget they exist
or keys that must be forged to unlock life
read books we discarded as unreadable
Come to the summer of my arms
for one of us cannot thaw without the other
winter of our discontent
inch by inch recovering the expanse of unexpressed
so that intimacy could be tilled into rows and rows
of languid kisses strewn with endless possibilities
perhaps then, someday we will
live our way into the passion we always sought
Bristle Stories
They arrive uninvited
like guests during summer siesta
and find strength in numbers
Stubborn as teens in combat boots
looking for trouble at street corner
my chin hair refuse to die
or remain dormant
They recoil every time I wax
Let me celebrate victory after a laser
Disappear for maybe a couple days,
but always return snapping gum vivaciously
to sun themselves unabashed
bold and burping on a cloudless terrace
On weekdays, they foil with vengeance
my all attempts at prettiness
refuse to apologise
throw tantrums, stomp and yell
spitting at the feet of men smiling at me
Feeling right at home, my bristles stretch themselves
claiming more space with each day
play cards, exchange stories and smoke cigarettes
Greedy
unapologetic
bordering on contemptuous
they reassure the woman in me
that they are paragons of
proud and vicious feminism
The woman inside me wonders
if greying calls for a truce
to make peace with my rebellious mongrels
Nalini Priyadarshni is a feminist poet, writer, translator, and educationist though not necessarily in that order who has authored Doppelganger in My House and co-authored Lines Across Oceans with late D. Russel Micnhimer. Her poetry, prose and photographs have appeared in numerous literary journals, podcasts and international anthologies including The Lie of the Land published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. A nominee for the Best of The Net 2017 she lives in Punjab, India and moonlights as a linguistic consultant.
