Jyothsnaphanija: poems

Fiction

Fictitious this medical evening.

This cross eyed custard cup.

This table cloth  absorbed the table paint.

This rhythmic flow of the type writer

In fact, it’s virus that makes it slow down.

Fictitious you wearing a green shawl.

Your eyes, fugitive.

You inspecting  aroma of  vase.

My blank page  face.

You reserve better words for fiction.

More space, and a working plot.

You quote from those melting conversations

From a novel that promotes love, beauty.

You recite some old poems of deserted wives

Infidelity,  curious secrets.

Youthful dark shades, fanciful phrases you bring in.

The audacity of nature

I wish to cage in an old freezer .

For I hate singing.

School

When we leave the dusty gates,

Sarita still copies my notes into her glassy slates.

We run after the ice selling sounds.

Carve the darkness in our household lamps.

Mother’s comb was like disfigured clock,

I hated  mustard odor

of Hema’s cottony hair.

Clay shells, uncooked eggs,

We were scientists at each holiday cycle.

The rain came and went

For all the days

For all the years.

My school sank, my books bubbled

for the groceries.

I used to copy the sums from Anita’s answer papers.

I have no trouble now for counting the money.

 Owner of this shop said, “his daughter’s too didn’t go to school.”

“I am grownup to forget school” I was told.

School rings few rhymes

in my sandcake memory.

They come here and buy   perfumes,,

Dates, bangles,

Liquid soaps, calendars,

Sweets  making  machines, fading gold,

I get inflated in their smiles.

Last month I saved for a new watch.

Before that our home was ill.

But tomorrow we will buy new dishes  for celebrating.

---

Jyothsnaphanija is a PhD research scholar in English Literature at EFL University, Hyderabad, India. Her poetry has appeared in Melusine, The Nervous Breakdown, Muddy River Poetry Review, Northeast review, Coldnoon, Kritya, Indian Ruminations, CounterPunch, American Diversity Report, Magnets and Ladders, wordgathering, among several others. Her short stories have appeared in eFiction India, Thick jam, ETC. Her research articles have appeared in Subalternspeak, eDhvani, Wizcraft, Barnolipi and in several books. She blogs at phanija.wordpress.com