Am I good enough - A poem

I come back home,

check the phone

open insta, Facebook, and other platforms

to see how many likes I got on my post.

Oh, no! am I not good enough?

The number remains 24.

I calm myself down

and try to shoo away the frown.

Alas! my mind keeps running back to the stuff online,

wondering if the comment was a truth or a lie?

Oh God, this puts me in self-doubt,

making me feel the need to cry my heart out.

For a while, I forgot these were strangers

whom I was talking to.

I noticed that these were the people influencing me,

a pose is what I am supposed to do,

and a filter is what I need to use.

Forcing me to give it a thought,

if I were good enough or not?

But now all I feel is just fake,

I believe it is the moment to ignore them

and I begin the change.

Days passed by I didn't go online

Nor did I care about my profile.

Eventually, I came back to normal,

But my so-called online friends thought I was abnormal.

Definitely, it took time

but all I know is in the end,

I am all fine.

As relaxed and free as a seashore,

Shining bright and touching the heights like before.

I began a fresh phase of summer in my life,

knowing it's enough to be enough just for myself.

~Kashvi~

Kashvi is a grade 8 student of Amity International School, Gurugram Sector 46

Know Your Poet: Anupama Srivastava

This month in the Know Your Poet series, we are featuring Anupama Srivastava.

Anupama Srivastava

Anupama Srivastava has a Bachelor’s in English Literature and is a textile designer by choice. She has an inclination toward music, lyrics, and poetry—she believes her interest in music has rendered her with a poetic bent of mind although she considers herself a poet by chance.

As a private person, she refrains from much public engagement. However, the Delhiwallah Poetry Collective has become an avenue for Anupama to share her poems recently.

Read Anupama’s poem नीरव below.

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नीरव

Anupama Srivastava

नीरव के दव में मुझे यूँ जलाते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझमें आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!

ना सही पाँचो तत्व,

पर तुम में घुला, मेरा सारा अस्तित्व ।

कर के सब न्यस्त, जो फिर भी ना हो अस्त,

उस सुलगती हुई राख को,

बार बार दहकाते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझ में आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!!

धड़कते आइने में अक्स तुम्हारा है,

सोच तुम्हारी, हर पल ख़याल तुम्हारा है !

यक़ीन जो नही, तो ले आओ नशतर,

चीर के देख लो,

शीशे पे लिखा नाम तुम्हारा है!

देखते हो,

फिर भी उसे

दमन के अश्म से,

चूर चूर कर जाते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझ में आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!!

मुमकिन नहीं, हर किसी का

तप के बन जाना कुंदन ।

ना ही घिस के महकना, जैसे चंदन ।

बार बार के आघात से

तो लौह में भी भर जाती उलझन ।

समझते हो,

तो फिर मुझे अपने से दूर कर

यूँ आज़माते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझ में आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!!

क्या करूँ, जो तुमको हो इत्मिनान पूरा।

क्या कहूँ, जो तुम्हारा विश्वास ना रहे अधूरा।

क्या बोलूँ, जिससे तुमको हो जाए ऐतबार मेरा

नस नस में मेरी जो बह चला, लहू बन कर

उस प्यार को,मौन के ख़ंजर से बहाते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझ में आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!!

यूँही एक दिन,

दिन वो आ ना जाए जब कि तुम्हारी बेपरवाही से प्यार अबोल हो जाए।

अनदेखी तुम्हारी,

आँखों से सारा चैन बहा ले जाए।

टूटे हुए मन के तिनके चुभते रहें सीनें में,

सब कुछ हो के भी कुछ ना रह जाएँ जीने में।

अपनायत है बेहिसाब, फिर भी,

अनजाने से हो जाते क्यूँ हो!

जो दिल की ठंडक हूँ,

तो मुझ में आग लगाते क्यूँ हो!!

Home: Ritika Soni

The Delhiwallah Poetry Collective brings the Young Poets feature that publishes young poets including school and college students.

Photo Credit: Valentina Locatelli (@valentina_locatelli)/ Unsplash, Public Domain Dedication

Home

Ritika Soni

Some walls and barren land,

When put together

Make a house, plain and bland.

It's the beautiful souls,

That make the house a heaven

Who understand the words,

We haven't even spoken.

The comfort and peace,

Provided by our home,

It's nowhere to be found

May go to Paris or through Rome.

It doesn't matter if it's a bungalow,

Or a simple room

People who know how to be happy,

Will suffice, even under a leaking roof.

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Ritika Soni is a 16-year-old living in Gurugram. Her interests include Western music, fiction novels, and writing.