I've never known love
Yes, I've seen the word everywhere
Seen others experience it
Yet I never have
But I thought I did

I mistook lust for love
And when he lusted over the innocence and
purity of my white rabbit self
I assumed that it was love
Because I'd never been loved before

And when I was younger
And he would always physically hurt me
His parents said it meant he liked me
My parents said that's just how boys are
So I assumed that it was love

And back to the first man I've ever dated
Though I don't like to consider him
When he pressured me into a relationship
When he was ten years older than me
But I stayed
Because I thought it was love

And then my freedom was taken for 768 days
Because they caught me talking to the man
I couldn't tell any of my friends
Any of them that I was groomed
Because I didn't know if it "counted" if it was online
I didn't know if it was love

I knew another guy at the time
One who knew my groomer
And I fell in love with him
I thought that I'd finally found love
But after he broke up with me
And crawled back eight months later
He admitted to talking to other people
In the whole sixteen days we dated.
I was partially loved for sixteen days.

And finally, in the spring
I met a third guy I told others about
But I wish I didn't
I asked him to ask me out
But he never did
He responded to my love
With jokes about ****
And sexist remarks, so I left

There have been many other guys along the way
With the two I've dated
One I talked to, one groomed me, one cheated

Lusted, but never loved
Just to fill in for someone else
And I hold my independence proudly
But I've had it ever since I was born

I've watched everyone else fall in love
Yet I watch from the sidelines
Wondering when I'll be loved
Truly loved
For once in my life.

I convinced myself that I would be the one to leave
But it turns out it was him
And I prayed each night that he wouldn't go
But I've never been able to win
What happened to every good morning text you sent?
What happened to asking if I'm okay?
It's so obvious we loved each other
Then what did you mean today?
What happened to me being your favorite person?
What happened to losing sleep for me?
And if you say I did nothing wrong
I'll still believe we were never meant to be
You said there's nothing wrong with me
You just find the situation draining
But I don't wish you to be sad
And don't you think I am paining
I've found a new independence
No longer will I have to hide anymore
And yes, I'll still be sad
But it'll never be able to touch my core
So don't take pity on me
And don't see yourself as dumb
I may not reply as much anymore
But that's because I've found my own freedom

She sat there like a burning fire
Courage inside her was one to admire

The breezes blew stronger than they had before
Her anger was from the sadness in her heart that tore

Today was the day her freedom would come back
Today was the day her courage would not lack

She would again become that flying bird
She would finally be back, being cured

So she stood up to them, ready to tell
But her courage disappeared, and again she fell.

A bird sat on a ledge, calling for air,
“Please, give me merely a share!”

A breeze came and lifted the bird off the ground
The breeze ruffling the bird’s feathers was the only sound

Every day, the bird decided to sit and wait
The bird was drawn to the wind, perhaps even fate

The wind always listened when the world did not
The bird had found something it had always sought

Then one day, dark clouds came and rain poured down
And the wind lunged forwards, without even a frown

At last, the bird saw the wind’s true power
The bird wanted to hide, but the wind didn’t let it cower

The wind ruffled the bird’s feathers as it had done in the past
The bird took off, flying ever so fast

Then the storm passed; the rain was gone
The bird looked at the sun from the ledge it was on

“Wind, let me once again soar!”
But the wind replied no more.

On this day of pride, we gather 'round,  
With cupcakes bright, where colors abound.  
Orange, white, and green they wear,  
A sweet salute, beyond compare.

Saffron swirls like morning's dawn,  
A vibrant hue, where hopes are drawn.  
In every bite, a promise new,  
Of strength and courage, tried and true.

White cream peaks with peace in sight,  
A symbol pure, of truth and light.  
Each tender crumb, a gentle nod,  
To harmony's path, where all may trod.

Green icing dances, fresh and bold,  
A future bright, in tales untold.  
With every taste, we see the fields,  
Of dreams we sow, and harvest yields.

In every cupcake, a story lies,  
Of freedom won, beneath the skies.  
On this, the 78th year, we cheer,  
For India's spirit, ever clear.

So take a bite, let sweetness flow,  
In each delight, let freedom grow.  
For in these treats, our hearts do sing,  
Of India's past, and what tomorrow brings.

Willow,
I will make my bed with you tonight
sleep soft and deep beneath your counterpane
no soothing water song, will ease my cares,
for I have none to ease
sing me no sweet tune,
no lullaby beneath the trees
for I am not a child,
a man full grown am I
traveller of the road,
by choice to make home
beneath a starlit sky

There was a time
When I used to be proud
Of being an Indian
However, that feels like light years ago
Since then, so many things have changed
That I wonder sometimes
If this is indeed the same country
Where I was conceived
Imagine surviving a plane crash
Only to have your face charred in such a way
That it resembles a piece of barbequed meat
And thus even your own mother fails to recognise you
That is the India of today
A democracy only in name
Where the gap between the rich and the poor
Is even wider than the river Nile
The way in which the so-called upper castes
Treat the so-called lower castes
Is even worse
Than the way in which the Nazis used to treat the Jews
Nearly a century ago
Not to mention, to insult a cow
Is considered nothing short of ******
However, harassing a woman
Especially a woman from one of the underprivileged sections of society
Is treated, in the manner in which a simple traffic violation is dealt with
That is, all you have to do; is pay a fine
And you are free to go about doing whatever you were doing
Including harassing more women
Then we come to the small matter of mental health
If you are undergoing therapy or counselling
Or if you are meeting a psychiatrist
As you pass people on the way
You might hear a lot of whispers and murmurs
Making it sound as though you were dying
Or worse, on the verge of insanity
Therefore, whenever you air your views publicly
The chances of people taking you seriously
Are even less than that of Netherlands winning this year's Men's Cricket World Cup!!
It may have been seventy-six years
Since we gained independence
However, the reality is
We are as much independent
As Salman Khan knows how to drive a car
Without killing people in the process
As I mentioned earlier, I used to be a patriot
However, when I think of India now
I feel a remarkably similar kind of shame
That I used to experience during my Engineering days
Whenever I failed in a subject
After all, when your country's international image
Takes precedence over the living conditions of your people
Then it is only a matter of time
Before you are headed down the path of the Nazis
Yes, I am an Indian
And difficult as it sounds to believe, I used to love my country
However, my love for its people
Exceeds that by thousands of miles