Amidst autumn's hue, where shadows play,
A leaf named Luna danced, on her final day.
She clung to branches, worn and weak,
Yet in release, her strength would speak.

My story's not unique, yet universally true,
We all must rise, and shine through.
Like the seasons, our journeys unfold,
From darkness to light, we're made to mold.

Resilience is born, in every fall,
A chance to rise, and stand tall.
I am Luna, and this is my tale,
Of transformation, and inner prevail.

So let my words, be your guiding light,
Shine through fears, and ignite your night.
You are strong, you are brave, you are bright,
Unleash your inner strength, and take flight.

©Priyanka Bhagat

Assured pat by her on my back
Gives me slumber—the most awaited one for people like us, the young-gen pack.
Chubby cheeks, the ones I playfully wiggle,
Wrinkled yet strong hands, wisdom in her eyes, and a practical head.

She was the forger of the valiant's weapon,
A soothsayer and a storyteller.
From her, stress would always fumble.
She raised me to be the best I could.

I will call her my mother till my last quest,
Yes, I would.

There's always some type of noise
Running through my head
From music to mass media
There's not a lot of room that's left

To hear a gentle whisper
That comes from the Lord
Guidance and comfort
In this war-torn world

When I find I'm anxious
With the noisy goings on
I seldom find that I'm
Close enough to the Lord

It is in the silence
That He speaks to me
Comfort and guidance
Being my greatest need

What he needs from me you see
Is to take a step back
To realize what I don't
And everything that he has

I just need to remove myself
From all this daily noise
For the guidance and comfort
I need from the Lord

Be watchful, be alert, be vigilant
Guard your soul and do not be lax.
Prepare yourselves for the moment
When the thief suddenly attacks.
Build up treasure in your heart
Where thieves and dust cannot destroy
Where moths and rust cannot corrupt.
Guard your heart from evil things
Fill it instead with the perfect love of Christ.
Care for your spiritual health and faith
As a man cares for his lawn
Or, a gardener, his plots.
Arm yourself with the weapons
Of fasting, truth and prayer.
Be unified and protect one another
Breathe deeply the sanctified air
Be a band of sister and brother,
Linked by threads of grace
And by bonds of purest love
And army of angels and a sea of saints
Fight by our side defending our souls.
So you, my brothers and my sisters,
When the day comes at that unknown time
May the Lord find us prepared and ready
That we may partake of the wedding feast
With our fellow man
At the supper of the Lamb.

Clutching my chest
I can’t breath
I can’t see
I can’t be
Me

On my walls hang two pieces of art;
large canvases boldly splashed
with colour, stroke upon stroke formed vivid arcs.

I wish I had kept my father's paintbrushes,
they were tools of masterpieces.
From them, my strokes could have made faces flush
and inspired songs and poetry; love?

*
But, perhaps ‘twas a blessing to create with unique expression and freedom.

Life is a mess
That sometimes can't be cleaned

People can be soap
Or a rag
Or a towel
You wipe up life with them
And it helps a bit

Unfortunately
Some of them were *****
And spread it all over
Instead of cleaning it up
Like they said they would

The theory of Reality.
The theory of Knowledge.
The theory of Value.

And yet we don't even know if we exist.

Life is complicated.
Consciousness is sticky stuff.
Our path is predetermined.
Enjoy the ride.

I hate the first few minutes of waking up.
It feels like I've been tricked.
Conned.
Duped.
My escape thwarted.