Musings 2020

 
 

Not Love 

Ananya Singh 2017B5PS0970P 
 

The skin or the heart, 
The love or the lust, 
They think i should choose, 
Between his hunger and my thirst. 

I weep; 
I stare into their eyes, 
As they are unknown of the world who tell lies. 
The draught kills the thirst, 
I know Love is always better than the lust. 
The skin loves the unchaste, 
The unsaid they hide in haste. 
Love left me thirsty, and wet with tears, 
Neither i am unkind, nor did he hear his peers. 
I chose to live, in all the love and lust, 
As they thought I would choose, 
Between his hunger and my thirst. 

  

51 

 

Those who Cared to Marvel 

Smit Vadalia 2015A4PS0571P 
 

A bundle of light, tinier than conceivable, 
I am the envoy of everything. 

Born in the crushing heart of a fireball, 
flung into boundless darkness, 
I injected the light of life into it, 

For all those who cared to marvel 
the ethereal beauty. But there exist 

spectacles, beyond the grasp of 
this indifferent blue rock. Swirling 
merry-go-rounds of dust and fumes, 

that birth fireballs like mine. 
My destination, although uncertain, 

is ultimate. We sit there, in 
A seemingly inestimable, timeless tunnel, 

Just beyond the curtain, waiting to 
exhibit The Eternal Pageant of Lights 

For all those who cared to marvel. 
  

52 

 

Ask Yourself 

Shivam Soni 2017D2TS1238P 
 

Hi, 
 

Who are you? 
A body with fleshy need? 
Or A soul with good deeds? 
Or an Orion shining in someone's sky 
with pure love and little shy. 

 
Who are you? 
Someone with a lost child inside? 
Or the one reliving the childhood? 
Or the innocence that fills joy, 
or are you someone's secret McCoy? 

 
Where are you? 
Being alone? 
Or being lonely? 
Or with new friends still alone? 
Or with your own self and still lonely? 

 
What do you feel? 
Is the current moment alive? 
Do you feel your breath? 
Are you happy in your skin? 
Is that you who suffers or your kin? 

 
What does your heart say? 
Are the empty spaces searching for you in yourself? 
Is your light bright enough to lighten other's day? 
Are your dreams still burning are they are broken Delph? 
Is your soul still taking to you or lying dead in bay? 

 
Are you searching for your purpose? 
Or your Purpose is searching for you? Ask yourself. 

  

53 

 

Far and Farther 

Lakshay Nagpal 2017A4PS0308 
 

A Last Smile And A Never-Ending Goodbye 
Regretting The Past All My Tears Dry 

A Meek Smile For What We Used To Be 
All Of ‘Us’ Is Now Left Only With ‘Me’ 

 
A Worn-Out Flower Doesn't Flourish Again 

It Just Leaves Its Smell To Feel The Pain 
There’ll Always Be New People To Meet 
In Despair I Grieve That Memories Don’t Repeat 

 
I Feel The Tunes With These Unwept Tears 
I Sing Along With All My Indebted Fears 
I Wonder Why The Good Times Don’t Last 

Hard To Realize It’s Buried In The Past 
 

A Dark Sight Is All That I Can See 
Think Whether To Return Or Let It Be 

The Freedom Now Seems Harder 
As We Move Apart, Far And Farther. 

  

54 

 

Life 

Sikawat Pawankumar 2017A7PS0039P 
 

So fleeting is this thing called life, we rush towards the next checkpoint, 
Experiencing moments which had rather be conjoint. 
The emotions of us painting a canvas, 
As if sucking life out of us like larvaes. 
Still we go on, looking for the light, 

Looking for moments which are just an inch away from our sight. 
And only the few special having the vision, 
Saves them from living in confusion. 
  

55 

 

Life of a boat 

Shivam Agarwal 2017B5A20969P 
 

Life is like a boat, 
Everyone just trying to stay afloat. 

 
Problems are like tidal wave, 

Testing everyone’s faith. 
 

Family is like a crew, 
And some of them are shrewd. 

 
True friends are like life vest, 
With you in your worst or best. 

 
Love is like an ocean depth, 
Deeper you are harder it is to escape. 

 
Money is like a fish trap, 
It can make people snap. 

 
Remember if it gets too bad, 
Smile to not make everyone sad. 

 
  

56 

 

Left Alone 

Atharva Patil 2017A4PS0256P 
 

“Mom! Where are you going, Mom?” 
A hush ensued when they lifted her form. 
I badgered as they set fire to some logs. 
I searched you in a bounty of books and blogs. 

 
Everybody howled hearing your news, 
My world was laden with hazy hues. 
I couldn’t understand their little game, 
I thought they hated the sound of your name. 

 
I was star-crossed. 
I was the peeve. 
I secured no succour out of benevolence, 
Even the trees wouldn’t shed their leaves. 

 
There is no cloud with a silver lining, 

No light at the end of the tunnel. 
When the light dims to the permanent darkness, 

Rage is the only thing you can funnel. 
 

Now, when I think about you, 
Laying silently on the sad height. 

I every time so accuse you, 
To condone the closing good night. 

 
Where were you going, Mom? 
Why were you going, Mom? 

Mom….? 
 
  

57 

 

Brushing her Hair 

Surya Lehar Yechuri 2016A2PS0782P 
 

She got up from her chair 
To go and brush her hair 
While she was doing that 
She heard a little splat 
The sound came from the window 
From where, a boy could be seen walking through the meadow 
The rain came pouring down 
But the boy didn’t have an umbrella of his own 
The girl thought to herself, “welp, 

I must go and help” 
She took an umbrella and wore a raincoat 
But what she really needed was a small boat 

Because the rain was very wild 
And the water rose up to the height of a small child 

As quickly as she could, she went to the boy 
Immediately, his eyes were filled with joy 

She asked him to come inside 
And to that, he did abide 

She offered him some hot tea 
It tasted so sweet that his face lit up glee 
After a few hours, the rain finally saw its end 
The time had come for the boy to say goodbye to his new friend 

He left after expressing his gratitude 
Once again, she was in solitude 
She went to the window 
To see the boy go 

Wonderful was the fresh smell of mud 
And in the rain, survived the most beautiful bud 

The beauty of the bud amazed her 
But now, she had to go back to brushing her hair 

  

58 

 

Hail the Power Called Woman!! 

Raunaq Jiandani 2017A1PS0716P 
 

The epitome of Benevolence and care, 
Spreading love and cheers, 

Months after months, years after years, 
I pray she flourishes today, tomorrow and forever! 

 
Nurturing the child with love, 
Showering the child with blessings, 
Enriching life with teachings, 

Oh! But a mother! 
 

Infusing with energy, 
Radiating smile and happiness all around, 

Reminding the way to live life, 
Eyes filled with glister, stay blessed dear sister! 

 
Becoming indispensable part of the Soul, 

Sharing sorrows and joys alike, 
Adding completeness to life, 
Eternally yours, lovely Wife! 

 
Wearing the long deserved garb of freedom, 
Embellishing it with ambitions and courage, 

Opening gates for a new age, 
To attain glories that none can gauge. 

  

59 

 

The Heavenly Tracks of Dawn 

Hridyanshu Singhal 2017A1PS0810P 
 

The algid freshness of the Dawn 
Like the shiny eyes of a newborn fawn, 

Wakes me up as I tear through 
Down the forests flushed with a golden hue 

The brand new rays guide me forth 
The thickness grows more and more 
Birds they chirp, chirrup and chirr 

Colorful shiny flowers stir 
The misty air with their sweet smell 

Death is but a mere excuse 
The heavens don’t belong to those who snooze 

Thump, thump, thump 
I run and run 

Ain’t stopping yet 
Coz’ I have just begun 

  

60 

 

The Babyish Fame 

Ishita Das 2018A5PS0982P 
 

A new life has ushered in, 
a great zeal and happiness. 
Smiles and hums sprout in faces, 
with immense satisfaction and merriness. 

 
All lull themselves to halt, 
at the sanctity of the peaceful sleep. 
no matter what makes it great, 
it is a Herculean peace in itself. 

 
As the tot gets his eyes, 
and his cold little breath to heave on us. 
it gets on duty to make them robust, 
to hack mom's sleep and make her rush. 

 
Still the baby is alluring, 
whatever be the score of his treachery. 
He makes his presence quiet expressive, 
by showing signs of disgust and misery. 

 
But as seasons fall in bulk, 
and as the time gains its speed. 
The baby gets on to his feet as a grown up lad, 
and there's no one to pay him heed. 

 
Punishments and penance take toll on him, 

and he's left with no reward. 
Neither mom nor dad get addictive on him, 

and this is when he feels so bad. 
 

Be it a kid, a calf or a pup, 
all sought baby-love and care. 
But as they grow through the years and by, 
penalty becomes a potential nightmare. 

 
  

61 

 

Song of the Kingdom of my Heart 

Pranav Dinesh Kumar 2017A4PS0121P 
 

Here me out, my love 
As I sing for you 

These words are from my heart 
This love is worth the view 

You are the light to my darkness 
You are my peace and my happiness 
Yet my breath is sucked at your sight 

Choking my own ecstasy 
Oh! My eyes can't bear, my heart jumps in joy 
Your overwhelming beauty, too good for the eye 

For you are my Juliet. My Helen of Troy 
And I, your slave, never to say goodbye 

As you know you stay in my heart 
God forbid us to be apart 

I love you so much, my dear 
Living without you is my only fear 
I sing to you the song of my heart 
For what makes my heart throb is nothing but your name 

Hold my hand, never to part 
As we dance together on Love's own flame 

  

62 

 

A Kite in the Storm 

Kamal Khemka 2017A1PS0691P 
 

How strong are the winds 
How can I fly 

I will get myself bind 
They behave as sly 

 
No, I must not fright 
In this dark thunder 
And to the horrid sight 
I must not surrender 

 
In my mind, which I have to fill 

Whether it is good or bad 
They are not here to kill 
But to provide me an aid 

 
There is no sense in fearing 
For the winds coming to guide 
They are shouting and cheering 

From my side 
 

However strong are the winds 
I must survive 

Where shall I go, I will find 
What else will happen, till I die 

  

63 

   
64 
Face with One Eye 

Aditya Upadhyay 2017A7PS0083P 
 

So, there she was 
early in this morning, 
With the kid she has 
standing by the bell ringing. 

 
She has an unforgettable face 

a face with one eye, 
her identity in this case 
another was her sigh. 

 
Sigh that although being silent 
still cried in a piercing voice, 
Still, there she was benevolent 
forced to take it as a choice. 

 
Her bona fide presence 
helped the mother in house chores, 
with body having only soul in essence 
And a dream blur yet pure. 

 
The dream she had for her child 

and the future of her family, 
A husband not wild, 

a profound metaphor, not a simile. 
 

Greedy, idiot that was her name, 
for she has jobs more than her carry. 

Being low priced is her fame, 
for it makes us and her merry. 

 
"Good morning" she wished 

and her kid sat near, 
With mobile on which he played 
Tetris or Snake in the cold air. 

 
He was deep into it 
like in love passionate, 
"Lower the volume a bit." 
My request responded in bafflement. 

 
Beneath the kid's innocence and fear 

may lie a potential who knows, 
A young Einstein with parted oily hair 

and mucus running down the nose. 

 

Her 

Burhan Boxwalla 2017A7PS0097P 
 

She calls herself 
A broken rhyme 

I call her 
A free verse 

 
She doesn't blink 

When scared 
Cause in a blink 
The world might end 

 
She laughs out loud 
At silliest of jokes 
Clasping fragments 
To weave a smile 

 
She whispers in anger 

"Please don't shout 
They won't listen " 

They never do. 
 

Her lips stutter 
An off tune orchestra 
So she stops speaking 

Unless alone 
 

I look into her eyes 
And all I know 

Depression and silence 
Are close relatives 
  

65 

 

Do Old Birds Dream of a Paradise? 

Kumar Utkarsh 2017A3PS0350P 
 

Do old birds dream of a paradise? 
Do they search for a future 
In every crystal ball of rain? 

Does its memory too escape them 
With every sigh? 

Where do old birds go to die? 
 

Do their songs go bitter 
With faith flying off their feathers? 
Are dewdrops just tears of an old bird 

That wept all night? 
When the next morning comes without a sunrise, 

Where do old birds go to die? 
 

Do they look for a soft place to fall, 
Pillow of winds 
Carpets of grass? 

Having lived in skies for far too long, 
Do they turn into dandelions 
Once they die? 
 
Not each one of them 
Ends up on the wire mesh, 

Not all are lucky to find nests abandoned, 
When their beaks can no longer hold in them 

Pieces of heaven, 
Where do old birds go to die? 

 
The hour’s hand wipes off 

The blue of the sky 
While the bird sitting on its edge 

Shrugs life off its shoulders, 
Drops eternity hanging to its claws. 

It slits the veil of the night, 
Stepping into the other side of the sky 

As a ghost all over again." 
  

66 

 

Thank you Cooper 

Arya Bhattacharyya 2016A7PS0068P 
 

They call you an animal, 
But I see myself in you. 
Loving, caring, non-judgemental 
You are really sentimental 

 
My life is incomplete without you 
I come to you in my times of pain 
That silly little grin on your face, 
Throws my pain down the drain. 

 
You alone listen to all my problems 
And though you don’t speak the answer out, 

Your bark makes things easy 
Day in and day out. 
 

With you, I never feel lonely 
Your precious snoring 
Is something 
I can’t help adoring! 
 

You are one heck of a foodie 
But I really couldn’t give you that smoothie 

Because it contains chocolate 
And you would’ve met an untimely fate. 

 
I kept your name Cooper 
Because you are one heck of a woofer. 
At times I like to dress you 
Like a star ship trooper 

 
You made me understand that 

Life isn’t that bad 
There is much left to live for 
If your heart is simple as a dog’s 

 
I learnt to find joy in the little things 

It is as if you taught that 
Big and little are constructs of mind 
And every little thing can be equally kind! 

 
You are called a golden retriever 
But while you didn’t retrieve gold, 

You sure made my heart bold 
And retrieved a lot of happiness! 

 

67 

 
That is why it would be difficult 

To go our separate ways 
I couldn’t cure your cancer 
But there’s still time to be a dancer! 

 
Wait for me in heaven, okay? 

As I pass every day 
In remembrance of your stay 
And your disappearance as if you were clay. 

 
You still continue to teach me 

That death is just a part 
Of a new start 

As you will always be within my heart. 
 
 
 
 
  

68 

 

Happiness 

Neha Maheshwari 2017B5TS1215P 
 

Being happy or not being sad…. 
What is happiness in exact? 
Happiness lies where? 
Here, there, or everywhere… 

But actually happiness is inside you, understands only few. 
Happiness compliment success- Really? 

Failure can be the happiest when you learned the best from it 
Being with people is happiness…? 

Trust me... being with yourself may sound happiest. 
I become happy seeing others happy, 

Same people burn their hearts seeing others happy. 
Rich people often curse their lives for a small discomfort, but 

Poor enjoy their lives for a small comfort. 
Some die to study, some die out of studies. 

Happiness is being in love…??? 
I know many dying in love every second, every moment. 

He didn’t leave a place in this world unseen, 
See tears in their eyes who introduced him to this world, just longing to see him. 

We cry when we see that we don’t want to see 
Think about those who actually can’t see. 
Stop looking for something or someone 
Who can make you happy? 
Create your own world and be happy, 
Where you are the happiest. 
Start living your life, stop bearing it… 
Be beyond this small world… 
Maybe you realize some day, 

You are breathing every second… is the happiest thing for you!!! 
  

69 

 

Until that Day 

Anshul Khatkar 2016C2PS0766P 
 

When people couldn’t help me through 
It’s Solitude I would go to 

There was something that the words lacked 
And in the gaps it was packed 

I would sit and ponder what silence was 
Pondering ceased and up it showed 
I believed holding tight was the key 

Until that day when letting go set me free. 
  

70 

 

The 2 AM 

Medha Bhat 2017A5PS1082P 
 

Meet me at 2 am dear; I promise I'll open my heart out to you, share all my secrets and all my 
tears with you! 

Meet me at that hour when the eyes are embraced with slumber; I'll lay down in your lap and 
let myself open in your arms! 

You might have heard of people being eccedentesiast; meet me, dear, I'll prove you not every 
smile flaunts happiness, some are even miserable attempts to hide the pain. 

Meet me, love, at the time when the night and day unite, just to get separated again; I'll make 
sure your fingers remain locked between the gaps of mine forever because even though I 
don't own you, I can't bear to lose you, honey! 
Meet me at the time when the moon meets the stars, just to feel the darkness of the night; 
meet me at that time for I'll show you how time falls in love with moments! 

Meet me at the hour when you are willing to shed those veils off your soul, at the nights when 
even you don't know whom you are fighting against; I'll make you believe honey that 
standing alone is beautiful and not painful! 
Meet me at 2AM dear, I’ll prove to you that love exists. 

-Thummala V V Satya Saran 

71 

 

The Last String 

Swadesh Vaibhav 2017A7PS0030P 
 

She was the sweetest string, 
Among the other five she knew. 
The six of them had different rings, 
But she had the brightest hue. 

 
She was the one they used the most, 
And plucked and slammed and pried. 

The other five were used to it, 
But she always wondered why. 

 
“It's because you're the most important one”, 

the others used to say. 
“Without you, we're incomplete, 

No you're meant to stay”. 
 

Days passed, years went, 
“Married to her work,” they'd say. 
“Why me?”, she'd ask the ones she knew. 

“You were born this way”. 
 

They struck, they banged, laughed and sang, 
She had to endure it all. 

Then one day, she broke, and the singing stopped. 
They said it was her fault. 
 

“She was too weak, innocent, too shy”. 
“Poor thing is beyond repair”. 

They sang again, now a different song. 
“We always have a spare”. 
  

72 

 

A Bad Dream 

Pradeep Saini 2017D2TS1241P 
 

It comes and it goes 
But the good ones always stay 

When I came across it, 
I wake up. 
 

I feel my life the same as it is, 
I always try to fight with it. 
 

But the only thing I get is failure, 
It has never been completed, 

Always leaves an impact behind 
But the impact is always positive. 

 

73 

 

Me and my Shadow 

Sayeed Ahmed 2017A4PS0331P 
 

I have a shadow hooked to me 
Walking right beside me, 

Come nightfall he waits for another day 
For the sun to come up and play. 
 
He follows me like a puppet, 
Never to spout a word. 

But don’t mistake him as a Muppet, 
You can’t kill him with fire, water or even a sword. 

 
As the sun goes down the horizon, 
He becomes all tyrannous and strong. 
Gaining his energy for the night later on, 
Perhaps he has fought or perhaps I am wrong. 

 
Watching over my shoulder every second, 

Like a shield protects me from evil. 
He does this, not asking for a single pound, 

Like a knight of times medieval. 
 

He has nothing to show for except his plea, 
For without light he is all but me. 
  

74 

 

Winter Waters 

Raj Sanjay Shah 2017A7PS1181P 
 

On the dusk of a cold frosty winter. 
At the forlorn edge of a precipice. 
Into the chilling winds and the misty highs. 
Above the sinking seas and the million why's? 
A lone question plagues my mind. 
I stare ahead, searching; the answers to find. 

 
"I have a home, but I'm homeless. 
I have bones, but I'm spineless. 
I have a heart, but I'm soulless." 

 
Along these lines, I wonder, 
think, contemplate, ponder. 
Memories of my good days. 
The eyes glazed, my heart far ways. 

 
I had a home, I remember, 
A pair of welcoming hands. 
I had a spine, I recollect, 
A bunch of supporting friends. 
I had a soul, I reminisce, 

More I cannot say, 
Those infinite pieces all given away. 

 
On the night of a cold frosty winter. 
At the sepulchral edge of a precipice. 
Into the biting breeze and the hazy highs. 
Above the senescent seas, beneath the obsidian skies. 
A ray of hope flashes through the mind. 
I look to the heavens, the one who is kind. 
"Show me the path, Oh great one! 
A basket full of moonlight perhaps. 

And illuminate my way home." 
Along these words, I quit, 

Surrender, succumb, I submit. 
At the secluded rock, I wait. 
For the judgement of fate. 

 
On a night of cold frosty winter, 
At the morose edge of a precipice. 
Into the icy stills and the murky highs. 
Above the senile seas, beneath the sombre skies. 
An astounding conception, a glimpse through the mind. 
The waters and me, by destiny we bind. 
"The world is a balance, I realise. 

75 

 

For I am in the middle. 
The way up, is going down." 

 
With these thoughts, I know. 
The answers, they hide in the flow. 
In the waters that always weep, 
The lonely man takes a leap. 

 
On the midnight of a cold frosty winter. 

At the dismal edge of a precipice. 
Into the quivery quiets and the hushed highs. 
Above the subtle seas, beneath the starry skies. 

A glimmer of light, to fall in the night, 
The rock bare, not a soul in sight. 
 
In the quixotic tears of the sea. 

Seraphs; they open their arms to me. 

 

-Meghna Gupta 

  

76 

 

Silhouette 

Challapilla Satya Praneet 2017A8PS0428P 
 

I close my eyes and a silhouette I see 
He says, “My master, please let me free” 
I look at him paralysed with doubt and fear 

And ask him, “Why art thou here?” 
 

He replies, “I'm none but thine own silhouette 
I ain't a stranger, not the first we've met 
You don't know me, tell me not 
I'm your inner voice, your thought” 
 
“I'm here to tell you who you are 

Don't tarry for your destination is quite far 
the worst mirage is that of pain 

just like clouds, don't let your eyes rain” 
 

“Time and people change just in stance 
Life's about choice, not just chance 
Live, let live and be just you 
And now I know you realise it too” 
 
The silhouette saying this faded away 
It faded away, showing me the way 
With my eyelids shut, I see the skies 

With old body and a new mind, I open my eyes... 
 
  

77 

 

The Spark 

Siddhant Khandelwal 2017A7PS0127P 
 

You were just a spark. 
Your flame not yet ignited. 
Then she came into your life. 

This girl, 
she ignited you. 
Your spark now a burning flame. 
Her smile lit it up with admiration. 
Her laugh made it flicker with excitement. 
And her jokes made it roar with passion. 
Soon enough she was your flame, 

your spark, 
your burn. 
She engulfed you with fire, 
she was your fire. 
Little did you know that one day she would cause your flame to turn dim. 
She would feed your fire not with love, 
but with hate. 
And soon she was just a girl again. 
And soon you were just a spark again. 
Waiting, 
waiting to be set on fire once again. 

  

78 

 

Sun that left the surface of Ocean 

Yash Sarawgi 2016A8PS0198P 
 

The race that I run 
to unknown destinations. 

Some moments of fun 
and times of frustrations. 

but then she smiles 
submerging all my emotions. 

 
Moments that I can count, 
Only a few but precious. 
With focus on my passions, 
I ignored the pearl of satisfaction! 

Time flew at its pace 
and the ship left harbour 
without the horn of confession. 

 
The ignorance was brought to light, 

like sun rising off the ocean. 
I felt 

I planned 
I confessed 
But the sun had left the surface of ocean. 

 
My soul all shattered, 
Heart knew it would be rejection, 
Had emptiness in every action 

I, a boy so active 
got lost in hours of silence of the oceans. 

Progress took halt for a while; 
The burning wick of candle 
in the darkness of the dorms 

melted all emotions! 
 

She is like an art 
A scenic that grabbed all attention! 

Our conversations reduced 
But her soft choice of words 

and a heart of rose 
kept the sailing friendsation. 
Her birthdays not but festivals! 
Could only WhatsApp my wishes. 
It’s all just mixed emotions! 

 
The sun always left the surface of ocean! 

I stood at shore 
and watched the lovelorn ocean; 

79 

 

as the ocean only longed 
for its dive of acceptance, 
but it disappeared into unknown locations. 

 

-Medha Bhatt 
80 

 

Summer Rain 

Devesh Todarwal 2017B4PS0518P 
 

Summer rain is an anomaly; 
 

An unflinching sign 
That something is terribly wrong. 

 
The sky is diagnosed 
With a sore purple-blue bruise 
And then it splits open. 

 
Unexpected rain is beautiful, 

I try to tell myself, 
 

Break open like the April sky 
And they will stand by the window, 

 
Be a year-long monsoon 
And the windows will be empty. 

 
 
  

81 

 

The Final Exit 

Swati Taparia 2017B2A31034P 
 

On long and lonely nights, 
I often twirl and ponder 

What’s the ultimate musing of men, 
Is it that life’s squandered? 
What is it like to endure, 
After the curtains close 
Is it an endless vacation 
Or a painful dose 

Eternal sleep in the lover’s arms, 
The final sweet release 

Or the horror of being trapped 
Inside the earth to cease 
Turning to ash and dust 

Right back to where we started 
Well, maybe that’s the final goal 

Of life, before it parted 
Do the years snap before your eyes 

Like a final farewell show 
Or is it being stripped of your soul 

Like a final farewell blow 
Is my mind afraid of the oblivion? 
Or is my heart scared of the pain? 
Is my body fearful of the scars? 
Or is my soul frightened of the bane? 
Death is but the fear of unknown 
What’s inevitable must surely come 

Drop death, let’s cherish life 
Before we’re summoned to Hades’ home! 

  

82 

 

Teenage Dreams 

Shaily Bhatt 2017A7PS0040P 
 

Teenage dreams so hard to beat 
Trying to achieve every daring feat. 

 
A blazing intensity every second 
Flying as high as a flaming heaven. 

 
Everything new - a fire in the blood - 

A wild passion, quite unheard. 
 

An unquenchable thirst to prove 
A tireless determination to improve. 

 
The ambition to get in everyone’s sight 
A vague understanding of wrong and right. 

 
Peer pressure hitting hard 
Societal pressure playing its card. 

 
Yes, some tough decisions to make 

Career, life, really high stakes. 
 

Expectations reaching sky high 
Coming out of living in a lie. 

 
The bubble of protection bursting in a blink 

Fate changing decisions made in a wink. 
 

Love at first sight, they all say 
Heartbreaks, lessons learnt the hard way. 

 
Friends forever, a thousand promises made 

Some kept, some fade. 
 

Realisations hitting hard 
Learning to put on a façade. 

 
Love, laugh, cry, learn 
A lot lost, but much more to earn. 

 
Tapping feet to a fleeting tune 
Teenage days gone too soon. 

  

83 

 

The Day 

Sharang 2017A7PS0054P 
 

The Day that Never Comes 
I have always wanted to 
walk with you 
on that beautiful 
ocean side. 

Gentle winds, sparkling waves 
and you by my side, 
listening to my 

delighted and grateful Heart. 
Really, mine is a tiny 
insignificant wish. 
Just to have spent 
such a day with you. 
Yet what greeted me 
day after day 
were troubled events 
and trivial mistakes 

that slowly split the earth 
between you and me 
Alas, tonight, I finally 
understand 

All the delight and gratefulness 
has become 

black coals amid ashes 
No matter which road I take 

I would never again be 
by your side, 
on that beach. 
So I wait, 

wait for the day, 
the day that never comes. 

  

84 

 

The Heavy Backpack 

Jivat Neet 2017A7PS0050P 
 

It started long ago, 
Its end is not destiny 

It's all about you, 
You have the remedy. 

 
The first vase you accidentally dropped, 

The pieces pricked and tears shed. 
It's the pain, your mom thought; 
But the guilt, it still lies alongside you in bed. 

 
Your words pierced her heart, 
Which you knew apologies couldn't console. 
So you left her waiting there, 
The regret still gnaws at your soul. 

 
You were not the only one, 
We've all had big dreams; 
Dreams that we couldn't achieve, 
Life had lost meaning, it seemed. 

 
You had a lot to say, 
But she left before time, your hands were tied. 
She deserved to know, 
What the hard shell held inside. 

 
What if you had done otherwise? 

What if you hadn't lied? 
What if luck had been your side? 
These questions, long time ago, should have died. 

 
But they still echo inside, 

No one pacified them. 
The regrets travel in your backpack, 

Time and again they overwhelm. 
 

It started long ago, 
Its end is not destiny. 
Let go of all that weight, 
That is your remedy. 

  

85 

 

The Last Poem 

Ishan Mangotra 2017B5A80903P 
 

When they found the last poem left 
They ripped it out from under the debris, 

Its body beaten into a water 
Its mind crushed beyond reparation, 
When they saved the last poem left 
They didn’t know what to do with it. 

 
What would they call it 
Now that no name seemed fit? 
With its lineage unknown, its faith indefinite, 
Where would they place it, 
This frail body that doesn’t know a god 
But carries annihilated prophecies for a heart. 

 
You see it now and then 
Floating down alleys of the city’s old gardens, 
Mistaking trees for bones and sticking its flesh to them. 
You feel bad for it and want to give it a home, 
But how do you save someone 
Who has been saved before? 

  

86 

 

Time 

Aditya Ramachandran 2017A3PS0339P 
 

Binding us with each strand 
Suffocating us second by second 

Stretching across every land 
Towards death, Time beckoned 

 
Life ebbs away on His command 
To depressed, from effervescent 

He is why people plan 
For He decides, what's permanent and what's transient 

 
Even though He's invisible 

He's one with space 
Rooting Him, being humble 
Our lives slip in trying to trace 

Where did He skedaddle 
 

He limits us 
But also pushes us 
To make the most of Him 
And enjoy our lives to the brim 

 
  

87 

 

Tired of Hoping… 

Anirudh Garg 2017A7PS0142P 
 

Day begins, hope begins 
Day ends, hope ends 

I am beginning to lose myself 
In the search of finding myself 

What’s right, what’s not 
Who is going to tell me that 
I used to look up when I had questions 
But I guess he is also fed up with my behavior 
He has stopped answering 
Or maybe I have stopped asking 
Why? Because I am tired 

Really tired 
Tired of explaining things 
Tired of understanding things 
Tired of myself, tired of everything… 

I am tired… 
 

This pain seems never ending 
I am fed up of it… 

Nobody understands apart from me 
What each day I go through 

With this pain lingering around whole day 
It has been terrible 
Still I am trying, 

I swear, I am trying to cope with 
But right now, I sense failure 
I feel restlessness 
 

I feel tears, emotions just bursting around 
I don’t know, it’s not in my control either... 

 
I hope you still understand me, 

I hope you still love me 
I know, you will 
 

But still I am hoping with all the hope I am left with 
May be you will know one day 
I can do nothing, just hope… 
  

88 

 

Tomorrow is Going to be a New Day 

Ashutosh Bhatt 2017ABPS0957P 
 

I hate going to classes, to wake up in the morning and put on my glasses 
Only to find I am already late, then go back to sleep and accept my fate 

I wake up at noon and to my roommate I say, 
“Sorry for today but tomorrow is going to be a new day 
I will wake up at 6 and go to the gym, Workout for 2 hours and become slim 
Go on and then play some Squash, come home exhausted and have a quick wash….” 
I hear my roommate snoring away, sleeping like a log in the middle of the day 
And to myself I said, let’s stop for a bit and take a nap 

Found myself lying on the bed in a snap 
Then woke up at 7 and myself I said 

Sorry for today but tomorrow is going to be a new day 
  

89 

 

Trapped Within 

Jai Vashishtha 2017B5AB0664P 
 

Beneath his smile he hid a truth,  
Which was told to him by a sayer of sooth.  
And this game he played was clear to see,  

Yet not one shed a drop of empathy.  
 

As each night was born and died each day,  
A part of him was turned to grey.  

The scars he earned at dawn he'd hide  
The cause of it he still denied.  
 
And so he sat and rot forlorn  

Not a shred left of the man as he was born.  
And where he felt his heart once beat,  
Rests a slab of bloodless meat.  
 
And so he sought to right his path,  
Like a million times before he hath.  

Each time he comes back to his old ways,  
The rope he holds slowly frays.  
 
And as he lay to rest one night,  

A sound so loud shook him with fright.  
It was merely but the midnight bell,  
But with it came the God of Hell.  
 
And to think it was just his pride,  
That had not once ever left his side.  
But what is one man’s pride worth,  

When man becomes one with mother Earth.  
 

Thus his time in jail complete,  
He lost it all but never admit defeat. 

  

90 

 

The Love of her Life 

Divya Kapur 2017A3PS0283P 
 

She smiled, beautiful and kind 
Red lips pulled up in an angelic smile 

Rosy cheeks tinted with rouge 
Grotesque glamour, inducing bile. 

 
Short, dark hair, an air of aristocracy 
Long eyelashes, an aura of frivolity 
Irony lied in her bleeding satin gown 
It flowed down to the floor, silver as a crown. 

 
Her perfect comeliness 

Delicate fingers 
Hidden loneliness 
Long-cold embers 

 
At the scene of crime, 

She lay as if asleep 
Tears flowing past her cheeks, mixing in grime, 
Blood pooled around her as the heavens weep. 

 
Stories would say she died in valour 
But valour was a man's prerogative 

A maiden's, was terror 
 

No one would know 
It was her dearest wish 
Her husband who would show 
Only love to all, even fish 

 
Her husband dearest, the love of her life 

The reason of her sorrow 
The one who shackled his wife 
Was the one who shot her brow that morrow. 

  

91 

 

Mom…. You Knew It 

Vedant Parwal 2017A4PS0390P 
 

As mom deftly held the pencil, 
My tiny eyes at awe of her skill. 
Little knowing, I too shall learn to write, 
And forget the hand that taught me to write. 

 
As mom held my hand secure, 
My tiny legs struggling to fall in place. 
Little knowing, I too shall learn to walk, 
And forget the hand that taught me to trot. 

 
As mom made me hold the spoon, 
Guiding the tiny morsel into my tiny mouth. 
Little knowing, I too shall learn to eat, 
And forget the hand that taught me to feed. 

 
As mom held my hand to wave, 
My tiny hands were proud of the action. 
Little knowing, I too shall learn this gesture, 
And forget the hand that taught me to wave. 

 
Now I know everything mom, 
My tiny hands are bigger than yours. 
You always knew I will grow out of you, 
And forget the hands that taught me, 
Still you taught me everything you knew. 

 
Mom, I shall never forget, 
One day I shall guide you. 
Little you will know, I shall teach you, 
Things new and novel in this world of me and you. 

 
  

92 

 

Mysterious and Magical 

Devansh Kamodia 2015ABPS0632P 
 

Waves come crashing to grey sullen shores. 
Powerful and strong, it breathes and roars. 
Cascading and caressing each grain of sand, 
A warm embrace between sea and land. 

 
High above, a seagull soars high. 
Wings of purity it spreads to fly. 
Battling high against darkened cloud, 
In a wind that blows fiercely, flying graceful and proud. 

 
Beneath, the sand is soft and warm. 
Sculpted by nature, it's weathered the storm. 
A passionate battle between calmness and rage, 
A new chapter's beginning; don't turn the last page. 

 
I listen again to the whispering waves, 

Music of nature calming and brave. 
Its power unknown, its stillness untamed, 
Mysterious and magical, a treasure earth claims. 

  

93 

 

An Ode for A Note 

Keshav Kumar 2017B2A20649P 
 

Whom do I write the ode to? 
The stars, 

Who sing yesterday to me? 
Or the dreams, 

Who were cunning enough to make me believe? 
To memories, 

Sharp enough to slice unapologetically, 
Or to feelings, 

Who kill my hope to see a tomorrow? 
Maybe to the universe, 

Whispering cosmic dust, intensifying my existential crisis? 
Or life, 

A long apology letter, explaining reasons that she’ll find someone better if it ends? 
To the fools, 

Who still believe in happy endings? 
Or to the journal, 

With different dates repeating the same last letter just becoming shorter but heavier after 
every year? 

Be it to the light, 
Which just doesn’t show itself in your eyes anymore? 

It will be a hero I think, 
Because tragedy has a crush on them. 

  

94 

 

I Deserve 

Harshit Shrivastava 2017A2PS0085P 
 

I deserve this hatred, 
Because I loved, 

Loved the way no one else did. 
A fact, love only when you are loved. 

 
I deserve this reality, 
Because I thought, 
Thought that things will change. 
A fact, fact remains same. 

 
I deserve this silence, 

Because I said, 
Said that this a happy story. 
A fact, no story is a happy story. 

 
I deserve this surprise, 
Beacause I expected, 
Expected that you will stay. 
A fact, nothing is permanent 

 
Now, here I am, 
lying on this hospital bed, 
Got everything I deserved, including this end. 

 
I deserve this death, 

because I lived, 
Lived the way everyone else did. 

 
This is all, death allowed me to think, 

Gave me a minute, 
And I gave that last minute to you, 
Maybe this is the reason why I deserved all this. 

  

95 

 

Monsters 

Kanishk Singh Raghav 2017A3PS0366P 
 

Gazing at the stars 
Blinking now and then at her joyous cubs 

Lying in her warmth 
Surrounded by the grass 

 
Feeling the gentle breeze 

Moving over her body 
Looking around in the darkness 
For any danger that lay hidden for her cubs 

 
Coming was the big day 
Teach them to hunt she would 
Soon they would taste their first kill 
Roam the fiercest cats free then 

 
High in the sky 

The sun lie 
Smiling at the tigress 
Waiting for her highness 

 
Getting to work 
Locating a deer herd 
Staying hidden in the grass 
The trio waits 

 
Waits for one to separate 
To leave the herd behind and wander 

And look there it is 
Spotting a lonely fawn 

 
Moving gracefully in the grass 

To the perfect hunting spot  
The grass unaware of what’s come by 
Stay silent in the queen’s command 

 
Now all that remains 

Is to charge 
And charge she will 
Years of experience said – this is easy 

 
Taking a step to start with 
Taking another one to gain speed 
And a few more to get more of it 

Reaching her fastest 
Little does the little one know 

96 

 

Of what is coming at it 
When it does see the predator 

He is already a dead prey 
 

Down comes an arrow 
From the sky above 
Coated in venom 

The tigress roars her last roar 
 

Comes a time when 
Becomes every predator a prey 
No animal, no not the fiercest 

Survives the greed of man 
 

The cubs stay hidden in the grass 
Aware of the danger ahead 

Watching their mother roar in pain 
Still helplessly roaring as death came by 

 
Feeling the gentle breeze 

Moving over her body 
Looking around in the darkness 
For any hope that lay hidden for her cubs 
  

97 

 

Before He Sleeps Tomorrow 

N.C.Saketh 2016ABPS0839 
 

Voices in his head take him on voyages 
In the midst of the sea where noises 
get a rest to see the true blue 
He anchors it to take a plunge through 

the nipping surface, this time he's hoping to 
get in the debris of a condemned ship 
But sharks around wouldn't let him in. 
 

He was an unopened bottle yet to be tasted 
The pub was full but he wanted to make no addict. 
He witnessed few broken bottles but said he wasn't afraid to be one 
He wanted to be clasped around but to be looked through by none 

He feared to be left open, vulnerable 
As wanted he stood at the end of the shelf, aloof. 

 
The ship sank, calendars no longer cared 

But he seemed fine and undamaged, 
But when he found himself in the ship 

It was about time to expire. 

 

98 

 

Musings of a Watchman 

Nisarg Vora 2018A7PS0254P 
 

Some walk away, some simply don't care 
As he sits beside a fire accustomed to this despair 

Gradually it grows darker and he's all alone 
Still neither does he complain nor does he moan 
Smouldering pieces of coal become his solitary ally 
The only ones who hear him laugh, the only ones who hear him cry 
Though the fire soothes the body, his heart is still sore 
No, it’s not the strangers’ ignorance that troubles him anymore 
But is the distance from where his loved ones, swarm 
He's close to the fire yet far from feeling warm 

Still every time a spends a sleepless night 
For those who'll never be able to understand his plight. 

  

99 

   

A-live thought 

Mankrit Singh 2018A7PS0192P 
 

Hey on-looker 
Do you feel you want to 

Criticise? 
First deepen your mind and 

Visualise. 
We exert influence not only to 

Mesmerise. 
And we look through a skewed view 

Of endless size. 
 

First look- 
At the makers making 
And the bakers baking 
Birthing and re-birthing 
With artistic imperfections 
Creating and recreating 
From the gay sleepy mornings 
To the lonely starry nights. 

 
Then listen 
To the state that resonates; 
To a-symmetric symphony; 
To a sensual, essential sound of life; 
To the painted tunes 
On the winds of reality. 

 
Then cleanse your presence: 
The essence of your sense, 

To dream of insanity 
Perfected by chaos. 

 
So do you have it in you 
To look through these lines, 

Of these words 
And feel an art brimming? 
So do you crave enough yet 
To brave through an infinity? 

 
If yes, 
Then comply to my endless attempts at creation. 
And follow up with creative criticisms to swirl my art to life. 

 
If no, then carry on 
With a familiar emptiness 
Raging through the very familiar, empty day. 

100