when the rains come
tell them,
tell everyone,
to get an umbrella.
____

it's a field
a beautiful field.
green and green as far as the eyes can see.
It is quiet
and swaying,
and naked.
Wonderfully naked.

I am also naked.
and i can feel it
like worms, digging
within the hollows of my chest.
It is an uneasy feeling.
one that brings my knees to my chest
and binds it all with my arms.
It makes me want to eat myself
and swallow,
swallow till all that remains is teeth.

I am naked
but the grass I sit on is soft
and the sky has a mouth
that he uses to talk of storms.

I am naked
reciting the Psalms of David.
dwelling in the secret place of the Lord
abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.

In youth we see the world through bright, bold eyes,  
Each thought a treasure wrapped in dreams untold.  
The sky seems near, the sun a grand surprise,  
We chase the winds, our hearts forever bold.  

But as the years unfold, the truth draws near,  
With every lesson, shadows cast their light.  
From shifting sands, we learn to face our fear,  
And what was once a dream now feels so right.  

A gentle grace within the heart does grow,  
As wisdom whispers softly in our ear.  
Perspective bends, reveals what we can't know,  
And through each change, we hold the past most dear.  

For learning shapes the mind, the soul, the view,  
And in this dance of time, we start anew.

Faster.
Hurry.
We’re gonna miss it.
Leave me alone.

Your laugh—
like wind chimes—
gives me chills,
a feeling I never
want to forget.

One day,
I may sit by myself
and not remember
my loved ones.
I may struggle to walk.
I’ll be done
chasing dreams.

But right now—
slow down.
Stop running.

Let me look at you
a little longer.
Let me absorb your face—
because even if,
someday,
you seem like a girl
from a fever dream,
allow me now
to memorise every bit of you
while you’re still
tangible to me.

Because time
is something
you and I
cannot run from.

I'm younger than I feel
But older than I look
What You See Is What You Get
But net of the toll life took

Would you like to age with me?

To stare into my wrinkled face

Will you still see the love you had

-for me when I was young?

Would you like to age with me?

I’ll stare into your brown eyes,

crows feet may surround them,

white whiskers on your chin

but I’ll still see the love I have,

for you no time can bend

Like a Yew tree
in its fifth century.
Like a June Beetle
in its fifth month,
burying its eggs in the soil.
I pay little heed
I give no value
to the boasts of kings.

Once a day, thoughts of QUITTING,
It was ages before or is it just me who aged?
Hearing whispers—
"Oh girl! Don't overthink, you're just a child."
But... how did this girl learnt to feel this way?

Back in days, this messy, inactive Angel…
She made mistakes and advancements at the same time.
Following her years with Covid-19,
Grew an ache of anger with a belief that—
The world was completely against her.

Then that day, when tears fell…
Wait—were those the thoughts of the overthinker me again?
And that was the time I recognised
Myself, with numerous talents to shine.

Today, an orator, poet, painter—she transformed.
But never gained the courage to own the title of best person.
She changed me, my young self, but…
Why is it me writing all these things as a memory of guilt again?
Maybe… it’s just me who aged—
Not my guilt.

-Parisha