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Poems

Chrysalis

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Tanvi Nagar
Delhi Public School, Gurugram, Haryana

I sat in a dimly lit room and began to flip the dusty journal’s pages, 
‘My life’- the first page said- ‘Every detail in this journal I have narrated’
My grandmother’s words, her handwriting preserved perfectly through time,
“This journal begins on 18th September 1800, it will end with the end of my life,
They call me a warrior, they call me a fighter-mother, lover, daughter too,
I have been all of them, not a single day of my life has been rued, 
When I came into this world, they labelled me as a housewife-nothing more,
A slave-born to live and die inside four walls- “What more is a girl even worthy for?”
“You must die with your husband, he’ll live with you for seven lives,” mother said, 
(He’s twenty-seven years elder to me-he’s on his death bed)
(How can I die before I have begun to achieve my dreams-Yes! I have dreams too,
How can I jump into a fire for him-I will not, mother dear, I will not do this for you)?

They told me to marry him like my mother did when I was barely nine, 
To sacrifice my body, my mind- devote myself to their service-for my lifetime, 
I was loaded with a cart full of riches, my value calculated in bills and money, 
Father- “He will treat you well, dear- we have given him whatever he wanted as dowry”
While he read the Gita, he commanded- “Lady, go get me some hot tea.”
I took the book from the table, while he slept-the letters like designs looking quirky, 
That’s how I learnt to read the Holy books, pen down biographies and write, 
That’s how I went on to lead India’s freedom struggle-studying under the night light.”

A tear flowed down my cheek, I snapped back into my reality, 
To a world where there are thousands of women-no longer oppressed with brutality,
A world where there has been progress, there have been massive leaps and bounds, 
Today women are astronauts-reaching the stars and clouds, rising above the ground. 
Today girls attend school, girls know of their rights, girls are having travelled miles,
Today girls know that they needn’t be clad in red sarees- they are beautiful when they smile.
Today girls can go to temples, churches, mosques- follow their heart’s calls, 
Girls are overcoming barriers, crossing obstacles and breaking suffocating walls. 
In my diary, I began to write- ‘My life’-each and every detail I described, 
“I was born in 2000-welcomed as not a ‘boy’ or ‘girl’-but simply a child,

I went to school with my brother, went to college too, 
They said-be a doctor, an astronaut, lawyer- do whatever you want to pursue
The era has changed, the world is slowly turning into a paradise, 
Female foeticide has reduced, people have begun to value the girl child’s life, 
Women can step out of their house safely after the so-called ‘curfew’, 
They can all blossom like flowers whose petals are coated with fresh dew,
That’s how the era has metamorphosed-like a caterpillar and butterfly, 
To the next generation reading this diary-
Make the world a finer place, never lose the spirit to try and try.”

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Poems

The Bus Never Stops 

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Sadaf
Class 5
Gitanjali Vedika School, Hyderabad

(Budding Writer attending Takhte’s Creative Writing Sessions—Mentor Ms Goldie)

The bus never stops,              
It quickly moves on and on. 
Though, sometimes it slows,  
and at times it hops.                  

Wheels turn and the engine roars,
Comfy seats inside the colourful coach.
Racing through the day and night,
It carries passengers, evermore.

Travellers sit in rows,         
Some read books,            
Some play games,            
And some of them just doze.    

Few friends chatter on and on,
Find bliss in their bond.
Adoring their time,
And sharing stories of a time bygone.

Through the window pane, a world unfolds,  
Outside views are so beautiful,        
Of passing scenes, a colourful gaze,    
Lovely sights and stories untold.     

We ride at a steady pace,                  
At times the bus lurches with a jolt. 
To reach the destination,         
A familiar place.         

And here comes our home,     
It’s time to leave.           
Will meet you again,        
And what a roam!!         

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Poems

Mysteries of the Forest

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By Abid
Class 3
Gitanjali Vedika School, Hyderabad

(Budding Writer attending Takhte’s Creative Writing Sessions—Mentor Ms Goldie)

Mysteries of the forest, deep and old,
With many stories untold.
Hollow caves, dark and deep,
Full of secrets, hard to keep.

The wind whispers, soft and low,
A gentle breeze, a calm flow.
The glistening lake, a wonderful sight,
Nature’s magic, full of light.

Tall trees reach up to the sky,
Close to the clouds that float high.
Leaves rustling all around,
Makes a haunting sound.

Forest ground covered with grass green,
And tiny creatures’ unseen.
Bees and bats, out of sight,
Whispering day and night.

Look at the way the birds fly,
And deep in the forest, foxes sly.
Moves around a wild boar,
A big animal jumps and roars.

When the night flies away,
Sunlight shines through the day.
A new morning rises up,
Sunflowers and daisies wake up.

Mysteries of the forest, deep and old,
With many stories untold.

Photo by Steven Kamenar on Unsplash

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Poems

Whispers of Autumn

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By Chaandneeka Choudhury,
Guwahati, Assam
Mentored by Goldie Kasturia
(Budding writer attending Takhte’s Creative Writing sessions)

In a peaceful town, the shadows dance.
Two souls found solace in a fleeting glance.
He, a boy with dreams like the sky,
She, a girl whose laughter could make the stars sigh.

Beneath the old wood, where the sunlight weaves,
They carved their names in the autumn leaves.
With hands intertwined, they shared secret dreams,
The world faded around them, or so it seemed.

They roamed through the gardens where the sunflowers bloomed.
In each other’s presence, their holding hands were consumed.
The sun’s rays fall on their youthful faces,
The two youths filled the empty spaces.

In the warmth of the summer, they danced in the rain.
Every droplet was a promise, and every smile was a refrain.
They spoke about eternity with their hearts open wide.
Not knowing that time would soon take a stride.

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years.
The seasons turned colder, and love faced its hunts with fear.
They watched as the leaves, once bright and pleasing,
Fell gently to earth with sorrowful feelings.

“Will the stars still remember us, far apart?”
He asked with a burn inside his heart.
“I’ll hold you forever in memories, dear.
Through laughter and tears, you’ll always be near.”

But life, like a river, flows wild and free.
And fate had a plan they could not foresee.
Opportunities beckoned; calling them far,
To chase distant dreams, to follow a star.

They lingered a moment, then turned to depart.
Two paths diverge, each bearing a heart.
With one final glance, a promise unmade,
They stepped into futures where memories fade.

Years rolled on like the tide on the shore,
Each heartbeat is a reminder of what came before.
He chased the horizon; she danced with the moon.
Yet echoes of laughter would beckon them soon.

And so, in their journeys, though miles may divide,
In the whispers of autumn, their spirits collide.
For love is not lost, though the distance may sting.
In the heart of the seasons, their memories take wing.

Here’s to the boy and the girl who once knew,
The power of love in the moments they grew.
Though paths may be parted and time may be cruel,
Their story lives on, a beautiful jewel.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

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