Category Archives: musings

I am obsessed with creating warli art on holiday cards. Warli art form is from the state of Maharashtra, India, which depicts everyday life using stick figures. Here are some of the cards I created using inspiration from the internet.

“Change is the only constant in life.” Heraclitus I convinced myself not to jump in Careless folks almost never win I talked myself out of every opportunity That presented itself, full of uncertainty I told myself since I was in a safe place Any change could imperil my comfortable space ** Thus I went fromContinue reading “Change”

I feel in my bones, I feel in the air A creative void, I am quite aware New ideas have been prevented From germinating, from being presented To the surface of my conscious mind Life’s endless details rob me of time to find Space to think, space to daydream Mundane tasks occupy all my time,Continue reading “Creative void”

In my life I think I need A new serenity prayer indeed- I need serenity, courage, wisdom- all three To set my soul from bondage free An unhealthy sense of competition I’ve acquired In the vicious circle of comparison I am mired To everyone else around me, myself I compare At their achievements on socialContinue reading “Thou shalt not compare on Facebook”

I read this article in the most widely read medical journal in the world this week, and could not help pen this down. The narrator is every woman in the workforce. For years, I suffered with a face that was brave My reputation, my sanity, my career- I had to save All inappropriate comments, innuendoes,Continue reading “Men and #Me Too”

Lucky I must say I have been Women like me go through the world unseen As human beings with dreams and desires At least I had food- something to which millions aspire My employer was generous, she often gave me Leftovers for lunch, discarded clothes and jewelry Extra sweetmeats (she was conscious of gaining weight)Continue reading “Maidservant”

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ― Abraham Lincoln Driven by ambition and a desire to succeed I scaled the heights at a dizzying speed Working hard, making moves that were right I rose to a position of power without much fight I hadContinue reading “Power corrupts”

You all proclaim this mantra repeatedly Be comfortable in your skin, be carefree Accept your body as you are Disregard critics, and you will go far.. * As a woman trying to find my place In a world that still judges me by my face And other physical attributes I care not to mention BeingContinue reading “Comfortable in my skin”

I’ve had the idea for this poem for quite some time now. I always wanted to give a voice to the abandoned women of Indian mythology and history. (1) Urmila, wife of Lakshman (brother of Rama) You went away, following your brother in exile You left me, expecting me to bear my burdens with aContinue reading “Women, forgotten”

“We are sensitized by the books we read. And the more books we read, and the deeper their lessons sink into us, the more pairs of glasses we have. And those glasses enable us to see things we would have otherwise missed.” — Alain de Botton As a voracious reader, one day I felt uninspiredContinue reading “Bookish travel”

A simpleton was I, my dreams limited in extent My life was peaceful, in relative ignorance spent Politics was something  for important men Who deliberated in meetings, using paper and pen For all that I knew, their promises were meant to be, Mostly false, never to be taken seriously Even when policies changed, seldom itContinue reading “That Simple Life”

They told me education I could not receive It did not help in the household, so they believed * I learnt my letters, but I was explained Going beyond elementary school was a financial drain * Schooling I completed, college was out of question For I was of age to be bound in matrimonial unionContinue reading “Women at work”