Art by Shreya Chaturvedi
November arriving The leaves will fall into water and lose their temper. Across the night, our lightning verses will shoot and separate the sky. I will sleep early and hold the scalpel of time over my hurried schedule.
This is how November shall arrive, and fill my laments in throwaway tin boxes that I always forget to pack. The middle of this poem is the middle of the night is when I wake up. I will forget to pack, and fill my laments in throwaway tin boxes. This is how November shall arrive over my hurried schedule. I will sleep early and hold the scalpel of time to separate the sky. Across the night, our lightning verses will shoot, the leaves will fall into water and lose their temper.
Winter Poem Steam rises from the mouth of the dead scattering moonlight for all the hours of blanket melancholy; Each day, I learn to drape myself in this country of winter sleep. When you open your mouth to greet mine, I can smell the heap of dead words your tree of thoughts shed today. The wind howls; asks like a marooned soldier stuck between doubting and forgetting In a distant village, old men bow down to the mountain still alive with the wisdom of ages more white headed than they'll ever be. One dreams in the hour of fog with his head away from the window lest he can't find his memories Each time my ageing father loses his spectacles he looks at me, confused. I smile at him like the January sun. Come friend, step out of your syllables, your lisps, your tongue's tangled journey through words, make yourself at home, beside a shivering winter poem.
Debmalya is a student of mathematics, poetry and everything life has to offer in between. His poems have been published in international journals and magazines such as Carved voices and Subterranean Blue Poetry. When not reading, he is likely to be adrift in cinema and music. Follow his writing on Instagram and check out his newsletter here.
Shreya Chaturvedi (@curls_and_bones) is an illustrator who makes work inspired from the world around her, experimenting with colour palettes and objects that can be found in nature, transforming normal settings into the otherworldly and whimsical.