Free Verse Ghazal Poem — I’ve seen lovely sparrows chirping ebulliently near my dwelling. Now, there are empty nests and hollow trees near my dwelling. Stories of assemblages of snakes fascinated and amazed me. Now, I see only piles of coarse soot and grime near my dwelling. Some pigeons in crevices, wasps, a honeybee sometimes…

30-Day Gratitude Challenge — Last Saturday, I was planning for a hospital admission for my father due to a recurring illness, which required another surgery at the earliest. There was an inner conflict (with sadness) but there was also a need to be strong, calm, and smile for your loved ones to avoid breakdowns…

30-Day Gratitude Challenge — Of late, I’ve had some humble realizations, and some overwhelming feelings, and my heart’s been brimming with gratitude. Setbacks, triumphs, more setbacks, and then more triumphs — we have experienced all these moments from time to time. Some of us live in perpetual difficult times and wait for a ray…

Free Verse — I shade the flower petals with the hues I want — red, deep red, orange, maroon and purple, baby pink, dark pink — and enthral me with their unique beauty. Embracing these petals are leaves, stalks, buds — I colour them as I want, with browns and different shades of…

Free verse — All the people who helped my parents financially during their tough times. My grandfather/s, who silently infused discipline in me with their respectful conduct. My grandmother taught me to be patient and strong during small illnesses, and not to keep shrieking now and then. My parents for everything that I am today. My siblings always covered for…

Rondelet — I see an alluring light pink-purplish sky, with pure colourless filaments and hiding moon. I see an alluring light pink-purplish sky, an immense canvas up very high, with all the tiny diamonds that commune, planning to erase off the night’s gloom. I see an alluring light pink-purplish sky. Copyright ©…

FREE VERSE — In the realm of a seemingly disturbed world, good things also happen just like that — some diversions happen in situations that truly embody goodness; some eternal connections beckon us and encourage us to be true and kind to ourselves and others, and display gratitude and humanity, and believe that never-ending glad tidings await us in the…

Prose Poem — I became a writer for a few days during the school holidays. Wrote a King and Queen story secretly. Then, tore off the pages into very tiny bits. The waste bin was happy to grace them. Because those were tiny bits, nobody found out what the waste bin was holding…

Tasty Almond Milk Drink — Almond milk or Harira/Hareera (not to be confused with the Moroccan soup made with mixed vegetables and lentils and/or other dishes with the same name) is a traditional sweet drink prepared with dry fruits, milk, and sugar as the main ingredients. There are many variants of this dish, but what…