The Nest

 As the bird learns to fly,

To the vast sky-

Rarely the bird will find-

That warmth in the nest-

That it left!

The ragged twigs- dark whining stories!

The nest- no longer

Felt the best!

As the bird learnt to fly...🪶

~Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

Tales of a young tusker

 While the rest (elephants) left me here-

I sneaked in by crossing that fence!

I broke that door and entered in-

For the smell- of fruits and grains-

That farmer hides behind the hut-

In an utter dismay and fear!

While the rest (humans), away from here!

Talk so big! Plea us to co-exist!

And they know no fear-

Of their sweat being 'raid'*!

Of what it means to be chased!

Or, hitting the train and being dead!

Every night- I write my fate!

As I silently cross that gate!"

~Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

*Apologies for using this term

Within her (Manifestation)

And she found! 

Knowing what the lost noises mean,

Amidst the crowd of thousands,

Yet the peace within!

And she is the bravest-

For the battle, she is in! 🌿

~Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

Within her (A bird and her wings)

 For a bird that chose to fly,

Alone, above the sky!

With no camaraderie!

And no family to inquire! 

If her wings were fine?

Sans mother at the time of pain!

Those were her tears, 

Oozing as the rain!" 🌿

~ Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini, 'Within her'

Sparrow!

If there is a wish to borrow...

And I get a chance to be a bird,

I want to be a sparrow.

Flying over the stream-

And the forests I have never been (to).

Perching on the windowpane!

And chirping my best,

Gathering some fur and some twigs...

Building my cosy nest…

All I do then- are... 

Fly, forage and sing…

And in the days of gloom, 

I'll puff my plume!

And wait for the spring!

And yes!

How can I forget!

In the list of whom I hate-

Remember me-

If ever a sparrow shits on your head!

Sanjeeta 'Hridayaninadini'

Solus

 ...flipped decades. 

Dusks still sleep silently.

Pushing hard through the crowds-

Amid the abandoned dreams. Reneged promises...

Wounded time. Caged shadow.

...she walks- tall.

And she will continue to-

dusting it off after every fall!

Detangling the strings-

Solus. 

She stood.

~Hridayaninadini.

Disappear

Dust of the dunes-

Drifted thoughts!

Dunes in the desert.

Dampened dreams-

Dragging the dead desires.

Disappear, she wants to-

the void.

Scars on the mind. 

Past that haunts.

Glochids painless-

Plucks some thorns-

Droplets of blood-

On the desert floor.

Dried quickly, not to be healed.

Healed to be dead.

Dust hurled over the dunes.

And she was nowhere to be seen...

Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

Broken

 I saw a mirror.

Bright and shiny.

And yet, some scars.

I touched them.

A silent scream,

Echoed deep within.

'...must have been tough'

I thought! 

My reflections.

In pieces. 

Of words- I never liked.

Of a lost home.

Of a new world-

Of becoming a stranger.

Of being lost!

I saw myself.

Bright and shiny!

And yet, some scars.

Was it me or that mirror?

Something felt-

Broken!

Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

A glass door

Everything. 

All things, there were-

that made her engaged.

She grabbed one doll.

A book.

And a few chairs.

Flipped the pages.

She rejoiced.

Pulled hands of a doll.

Laughed.

Saw a unicorn.

Ran behind

Everything around her-

made her happy.

............................

While- on the other side, 

Of a glass door-

Stood that love.

Silently observing her.

Her little tears...

Tiny fears.

Love observed them all.

...............................

And now when she realized-

That she missed something-

Amidst these joys. 

She did not know-

What stood on the other side of-

A glass door. 

~Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

Ache

Strange, it is.

The ache within.

If it could speak.

The volumes, it would be.

Learn, I must.

From these throbs.

Amidst the sharp pain,

Cajoled my lips into the smile. 

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel 'Hridayaninadini'

The wordless meaning.

In the crowd of none,

I quit my companions.

Confusion.

And hope.

Silently yelling thoughts-

pierced the deafening noise!

Travelling to nowhere.

And reached me to bid farewell.

Incomplete sentences followed me,

Secretly through the broken paragraph.

To leave me with-

The wordless meaning!

Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

The departure and the farewell by Count Xavier de Maistre

Forsaken...

Packed the bag,

She had the journey-

to embrace.

The long empty roads,

A few toppled leaves.

Her shadow- the only voyeur. 

She had this journey-

to embrace.

She left some behind-

For she knew the burden

Was heavy. 

Never she knew, 

Leaving some could be bulkier.

The road, now, seems void.

So does the road ahead. 

And the bygones- forsaken!

Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

The torn kite

She sat on that wooden chair and pondered.

Glanced out through the mesh,

That had a hole in the corner, a tiny fly sneaked in.

Wondered what she found, she lost the decades.

The dried leaves. The butterfly that fluttered around,

Flew high and disappeared.

The shadows of the leaves and branches, the bright sun,

She thought, art on the ground,  

Only a few will behold, the rest will pass by.

as her lashes clasped each other, her eyes,  

They reached to the branch,

From where a dried leaf toppled down...

A tenuous thread spun around the twig,

An end where sat this tiny fly,

And another attached to the torn kite.

She stopped.

Bright yellow, it may have been.

As the mangled paper ruffled upside down.

The slight gush and another leaf toppled.

The kite and the wind!

Must have been a dream of that little kid,

Who laughed heartily, to see his kite reach the extreme. 

A season or two might have passed,

As the paper was still bright,

The same brilliance that it had on its last flight.

The rest shall perish in the seasons to come...

Another little kid, will run to that meadow and fly his kite!

No one shall ponder again about...  

The tiny fly that sneaked in...

The butterfly and the dried leaves

...the torn kite stuck in that branch~

~Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel 'Hridayaninadini'

Art by: Lisa Lea Bemish

ಉತ್ತಮ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಕಥೆ!

 ನೀವು ಮನುಷ್ಯರು, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನಾನೂ!

ನೀವು ಹೇಗೆ ನೋವು ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಕಟವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತೀರೋ 

ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನಾನೂ!

ಈ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ, ನಾನು ನಿಮಗೆ ಒಂದು ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ!

ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಹಳ್ಳಿ ಇದೆ!

ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಹಳ್ಳಿ! ಜನರು ತುಂಬಾ ಕರುಣಾಮಯಿಗಳು!

ಒಂದು ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ,

ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಬಂದು ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು!

ಬೇರೊಬ್ಬರ ನೋವನ್ನು ಕಂಡರೆ,

ಎಲ್ಲರಲ್ಲೂ ಕಣ್ಣೀರು ಹರಿಯುತಿತ್ತು!

ತುಂಬಾ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಜನರು!

ತುಂಬಾ ಕರುಣಾಳು ಗ್ರಾಮ!

ಆದಾಗ್ಯೂ!

ಮೂರೂ ತಿಂಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ, ತಾಯಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮಗು!

ಅದೇ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ, ಸಾವನ್ನಪ್ಪಿದರು !

ಆದರೆ ಆ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಜನರು!

ಅವರು ಯಾವುದೇ ನೋವನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ!

ಅವರ ಕಣ್ಣಿನಿಂದ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾವೇರಿ ಹರಿಯಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ!

ಯಾಕೆ, ನಿಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾ?

ಸತ್ತ ತಾಯಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮಗು ಆನೆಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದವು! 

ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಆಘಾತದಿಂದ ಅವು ಸಾವನ್ನಪ್ಪಿದವು!  

ದುರಾದೃಷ್ಟವಶಾತ್, ಅವು ಮನುಷ್ಯರಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ!

ತಾಯಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮರಿ!

ಅವುಗಳಿಗೂ ಒಂದು ಕುಟುಂಬವಿತ್ತು!

ಅವುಗಳಿಗೂ ಸ್ವಂತ ಮನೆ ಇತ್ತು!

ಅವೂ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದವು! 

ಮತ್ತು ಅವೂ ಸಹ ನೋವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಬಲ್ಲವುಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದವು!

ದುರಾದೃಷ್ಟವಶಾತ್, ಅವು ಮನುಷ್ಯರಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ!

ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು, ಅವು ಮನುಷ್ಯರಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ!

ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ!

ಅವು  ತಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಗಳನ್ನು ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು!

ತಮ್ಮ ವಾಸಸ್ಥಳವನ್ನು ಅತಿಕ್ರಮಿಸುತಿದ್ದವು! 

ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಬಂಧಿಸುತ್ತಿದವು! 

 

ಸಾವಿರ ಕಥೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೂ ಒಂದು ಕಥೆ! 

ಉತ್ತಮ ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಕಥೆ!

ಜನರು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯವರು!

ಆನೆಗಳು ಎಷ್ಟು ಭಾವನಾತ್ಮಕ ಜೀವಿಗಳೆಂದು!

ನಾನು ಮತ್ತೆ ನಿಮಗೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಥೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ...

ಫೋಟೋ

ಸಂಜೀತ ಶರ್ಮ ಪೋಖರೇಲ್ 'ಹೃದಯನಿನಾದಿನಿ'

Within her: The Cocoon

Introvert words sealed within,

Wrapped in the cocoon of a thousand thoughts!

She smiled bold, brighter than the shine,

Who knew what was lost!

The freaks, they called themselves a society!

Knew nothing, but to judge!

Yet she valiantly broke those walls!

To sigh and to hush!

For those who harked her inner beings!

Yelled 'that mulier sans happiness'

And forgot that her wings'll evolve!

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel "Hridayaninadini"

The Nilgiris

The blue of mystery and tempts! 

She…

Smiled coyly-

The fume floated gently over her,

From the hearth of that hut…

Cascaded over the mountains-

The blue of mystery and tempts!

No less than a damsel…

Embellished with Anogeissus’s leaves,

And the wild lilacs,

The trails where no humans walked!

Innervated her skin…

Her voice- 

The wind over the tree!

The orchestra of chirps!

The splash of springs!

The roars of beasts…

The blue of mystery and tempts!

No less than a symphony…

Every dawn, she wakes up!

Her beauty as rural as it can be!

Behold her, when she is drenched-

The drops from Heaven!

Intoxicated many stories and rhymes-

The poet’s wonder!

…she never fails!

To spread her charms...

As the wind whispers through her.

How earthly she can be!

Oh, the Nilgiris…

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel "Hridayaninadini"

Quarantinism

Amidst their posts...
Of their indoor fitness tips,
Of the delicacies they prepared,
Of the old albums they treasured,
Of the foreign travels they made,
Also posted, they-
The agony they have!
For the stranded crowds!
The disinfected people!
Picked up the gauntlets...
With a few!
And with another few, they condoned,
The failure!
Kept their phones aside.
"Honey, you want it warm or chilled?"
Hashtagged 'reinventing myself'
Back there, somewhere on the road,
Walked their maids...
As hurriedly as they could!
Hanging their babies as lost as them!
To reach their homes,
Before the pain reached them!
After all, it's the same!
Stay at home!

Time

She knew-

Unseen wounds are more painful!

Than those which bleed…

Of blood, but not of tears!

Yet, she cherished the fear!

She knew-

That time will heal!

Even the deepest of the scar.

Of the past- so bitter!

Yet, she treasured the pain.

Deep in her,

She followed her tears-

The path they cascaded through-

The castles of veins and nerves!

Yet, she was lost!

She promised.

One fine day- she will embrace,

Her time!

And will fly to eternity!

She knew- it will heal!

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel "Hridayaninadini"

Imprisoned.

All by herself.

She stood holding those bars!

And glared into the emptiness.

Someone had secretly spilt-

Silence in the ether!

Clad in melancholy, 

Appeared that dusk!

As the failed rendezvous,

Stitching the memories-

Over the sky!

The Sun descended with a promise!

These promises twinkled every night.

Bestrewn with the bygones-

They say, they are the ones who left.

She hushed.

It’s cold in here. 

She painted that smile over the dolour!

Her hands blue and frozen.

Covered with the rust-

Dark and bitter-

The cage felt heavy!

Her thoughts limned over the floor!

The perfidious wind!

Disguised as kindness!

Blew over them!

Asunder, over the darkness-

Flew the words…

She let them go!

The lucent hope-

Amidst the sky!

Howled a distant wolf!

This repeats!

In the prison of the past.

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel "Hridayaninadini"

Paintings: Kaleidoscope by Isabel Emrich 

Within her! (Darkness)

They feared their shadows.

They lit the lamps.

Shut all the windows.

And muzzled their thoughts.

Their silence spoke-

Darkness, they loathed!

The one in them,

They were no aware of!

The light conceives the darkness!

When it is gone!

She stood facing the light.

And bade a fond adieu!

And left!

She feared no darkness.

She knew it was the one-

Amidst the silent night-

Whispered to her-

The words of silence!

Dreams.

Hopes.

Solitude.

She found her lost being.

Amidst the wrecked walls,

And below the silent sky...

She found herself glowing...

Brighter than before!

She had faith,

And so trusted the darkness!

Else who would know-

How bright she was?

-Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel 'Hridayaninadini" 

Picture: Dark To Light is a painting by Lourry Legarde which was uploaded on February 17th, 2015

The disputed border

"One find day,

You woke up and realize.

A small piece of you goes missing.

When that small piece of you is lost,

you certainly feel the pain...

For they are hard to notice,

And yet most painful.

When Lord Rama gets justice,

And Goddess Sita betrayed,

A silent map...

Goes unnoticed!

Over the millionth of disputes...

The land of kindness

hushes..."

In the end...

A tiny star.

A toppled leaf.

A lost Firefly.

A bird inside a cage.

Asked 'Who am I?'

The inner voice answered:

'Certainly not, who you think you are!

And neither what context you are in...!

You are much more!'

Upon harking themselves.

And it twinkled.

And it swam over a stream.

And it blinked brighter in the wood.

And it chirped sweet.

In the end, it is you!

Who can inspire yourself!

Yes?

"...and she thinks twice,

Before riding an empty bus,

Before travelling alone,

Before meeting her uncles,

Before trusting someone...

She could have trusted!

Who says it's feminism...

If she says teach a man!

Teach a man who a woman is!

Teach a man, that she feels uncomfortable-

If you stare at her!

If you touch her inappropriately!

If you disregard her talent!

If you take her decision lightly!

If you ignore her existence!

And if you steal her freedom!

No, it is not okay!

When you ask her not to go alone!

Not to wear what exposes her freedom!

Not to drink to quench her thirst!

Not to achieve what she strived for!

Not to go out in the dark, to feel the stars!

Can you too teach yourself-

That it is okay to let her do what she wants!

You (men) feel scared while you are all by yourself?

She does!

Can we all just create a world!

A world without fear?

Can we all, respect us!?

Respect whatever gender we are!

Respect the dignity,

Raise your voice and help,

When we see someone being tortured?

Well, if only the answer--

Was:

Yes!"

~Sanjeeta Hridayaninadini

Within her (Lost amidst laughter)

That soft ambience.

Some glitters, some lives.

Claps and laughter.

The warmth inside this room,

Though the world seems frozen!

Everyone is smiling.

She sees no sorrow in their eyes.

Probably, they too are good,

In veiling them.

She ponders.

Again claps the crowd 

And laughs every corner.

She tries floating with the waves.

Claps and fails.

Laughs and fails.

Barely an eye notices.

The roots are deep in her.

She has concealed,

Enough.

Between the mocking walls.

She had spent-

Years of nights awake!

And as the dawn slides,

She pretends.

Pretends to be the shine.

While the dark engulfs her from within.

And the night appears!

When the silence of night whispers,

'You concealed it well today,

Just do it one more day again.'

And the days kept on being added.

Her smiles veil it well,

For the years gone.

And her stories remained,

Within her...

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel 'Hridayaninadini'

Within her (In the forest of many crowds)

In the forest of many crowds,

Lived a tiny girl. 

All of them, phoney. 

She never thought!

Some smiled sweet-

To poke that knife from behind!

And some pulled her down...

To rule and to raise their reign!

She was glad that she was just-

A spirit.

For, they could never kill her.

Or an inch of her being.

So she lived in that forest.

Underneath the concealed agony.

Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel "Hridayaninadini"