Thanks to Susi Bocks for publishing these pieces! https://iwriteher.com/2024/06/21/reena-saxena-2/comment-page-1/?unapproved=66146&moderation-hash=bb15d21118f46a4b68283c8450c4402f#comment-61526?page_id=20105
Caveat
The hesitation between the lines, the unspoken "unless," shapes the world.It’s a cautionary tale, a subtle retreat,The fine print beneath life's offers.A whisper wrapped in politenessA dagger gloved in silk.How often have I heard the words..But… you are a poor cultural fit Friday Faithfuls
Caricatures
the tree with a thorny, black fruit looms largeand it was only yesterday she sowed the seedher backyard is a botanical labwhere she plants good and evil Evilgrows at a faster paceas it finds a footholdin neural pathways of brainsand keeps repeating itselfin loops and more loopsin circular narrativeswhere every thoughthits the same boundaryand bounces … Continue reading Caricatures
Reena’s Xploration Challenge #377
Welcome back! The poignant image sparked a lot of softness for the young girl in last week's prompt. It was great to read the awesome contributions. Suzette B packed a punch in three lines titled "Lace". What is and what was— Duality’s chantilly lace embroiders the soul PROMPT #377 Using book titles as a prompt … Continue reading Reena’s Xploration Challenge #377
Navigating the Unknown
When the soul’s lease agreement with the body nears its expiry date, I see the irrelevance of other contracts. Duality has never been so transparent and evident as in the almost posthumous messages invading my fading consciousness. The internet enthuses me as a carefully orchestrated image stares back at me. Mirror it is not, as … Continue reading Navigating the Unknown
Kozhikode – the City of Literature
UNESCO declares Kozhikode (erstwhile Calicut) in Kerala, India, as a literary city. The city commemorates its writers by installing their busts on public squares. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ the essence of a writercompressed into stonesaved for posterityHail the City of Literaturea cultural situation I wonder how the travelogue writerJohn Gunther of Indiaprocesses facts in stoneI can sense his … Continue reading Kozhikode – the City of Literature
Death of a Patriarch
the walls were stunnedto see the roof fall silentand the ground movingunder patriarchal feet My grandmotherrecently widowedspoke…“I was never happy with him.”-thirteen days of ritualsnot yet overbut a truth spokenamidst the encomiumsbeing showered by mournerson the one that migrated the daughters-in-law contradicted“He always supported her.”In conflicts with other women?Yes, he stood by his wife…but imposed … Continue reading Death of a Patriarch
Enablers
It is a place where relationships lived, revived or died with conversations. Connectedness was the keyword. Plants in the same space are watered regularly, but are starved of oxygen. What kind of oxygen are you referring to? I remember how I felt renewed and invigorated after hearing your voice. Texts do not have the same … Continue reading Enablers
Summer knocks
sultrytropical climessummer knocks window panesair conditioners whirringcool rooms Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge
Acorn that I am
Aren’t you surprised to find me shivering in the backyard, when cherry blossoms adorn the season outside? My breath is icy when windows open to welcome fresh air, and kitchens smell of seasonal delicacies. As a seed, I was shot out the back end of a blue jay when, heedless, she flew over the meadow. … Continue reading Acorn that I am
Creative Experiments and More 