"The Closet" by Anisha Bodapati

The Closet 

I’ve been trying to clean out the closet. 

The chicken scratch from the toddler I had been; with horrendous spelling and horrifying grammar but imagination that couldn’t be bothered by either. 

The tiny teeth from when the tooth fairy was broke. 

The dusty remnants of notebooks with mockery in its final pages. 

The wristbands and tracks from when I had the time to be physically active. 

The memories and dried out roses, and pens I’ve never used. 

The different personalities held at the back, somewhere in its wooden boards. 

The dried out nail polish from when I bit every last millimeter of its canvas and replaced it with bloody cuticles. 

Gifts from a tiny admirer from school, who is turning out to be more like me every day, much to my joy and her mother’s dismay. 

This time I reach for the textbooks with very bad language scribbled in the margins. Some words mine, and the others in three distinct styles that I recognize. 

Notebooks either full of information, or of bored doodles and miniature masterpieces of classroom art. 

Scores of books that I’ve read and revered behind dozens that I have yet to read. 

At the front, a wisdom tooth I was weird enough to keep.

At the back, somewhere in Narnia,

There is still a part of me.

                                                                   - Anisha Bodapati (BtCFs)

"The Real You" by Priya Dey

The Real You

To live a peaceful and graceful life, have dexterity. 

We chase things that prove unworthy to us at the end—

Take time to think, try to reach your goals. 

Enjoying the worldly pleasures isn't bad, but you should keep your ideas, your creativity and your fervour alive.

Approaching difficulties and nurturing your ardent desires should be considered the effective parts of life. 

Virtuality is what people strive for, not thinking about time and its consequence, but to reach the stars isn’t impossible in the actual world and in time. 

Lead your dreams to reality so that when people look at you, they know to follow their dreams too. 

Consider your ideas, acknowledge the truth; accept the real you. 

Let your vision never waver from what's ahead of you: A life built of your own choice; a worthy future for your actual self.

Be real and be kind to yourself, behave sagaciously. 

Add colours of actuality to your life and be sure to spread them to the rest of the world.

Delete negativity and virtuality. Live independently and creatively. 

                                                                                                           - Priya Dey (MECs)

"The Pause Year" - A Poem by Keertana Kuchipudi

The Pause Year 

What a year it was —

the first of its kind. 

It began with silence, 

ended with surprise. 

It handed over chaos; 

it stopped the globe for a while. 

It was an opportune suspension for mankind; 

yet wasn't sufficient for man's uncertainty. 

It brought down the pride of nations, 

and the might of economies. 

It was for nature to replenish, 

yet was intruded by the social beings. 

It was a year of art and literature; 

of skills and trances. 

Was it the much needed break? 

Or was is it just another year of the calendar? 

Whatever it was, however it was; 

it was all the same for every creature. 

And all thanks to God, 

we've made it safe, thus far! 

                                                    - Keertana Kuchipudi (FsCCs)