Poetry, Jun '14
By Shaleen Rakesh
I watch them quietly
Poem sourced from The Lion and the Antler, the first collection of poems by Shaleen Rakesh (World View Publications, 2013). Limited number of copies available with Varta Trust – please write to vartablog@gmail.com.
By Shaleen Rakesh
I watch them quietly
they are everywhere
whichever way I turn
whenever I scan the rooms
to understand more
they live around corners
and turn with a parallel force
in the shoe box
on the floors, on roofs
along fingers and toes
down the railway tracks
in your most hidden alleys
sometimes they sit across me
looking strong, confident
elsewhere they are like anyone else
longing for dimension
waiting for their time to come
hoping to sleep
wanting to smile.
Shaleen Rakesh is an author and activist
based in New Delhi and has been at the forefront of the gender and sexuality
movement in India for the last 20 years. He was the primary petitioner to
challenge Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in 2001. He currently works as
Director at India HIV/AIDS Alliance in New Delhi, and is Editor with
independent publishing house OpenWord in New Delhi.
Poem sourced from The Lion and the Antler, the first collection of poems by Shaleen Rakesh (World View Publications, 2013). Limited number of copies available with Varta Trust – please write to vartablog@gmail.com.
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