Event Alert: 13 February 2021

Hello!

Join us for a day of Valentine's Day fun on 13 February 2021 at 7 pm IST (9:30 pm MT).

The meeting will be hosted by our very own Cyrus Vesuvala.

Find us at meet.jit.si/DPC1302.

Bonus

We will also be announcing our Valentine's Day Poetry Contest winners.

If you still haven't submitted your entry for the contest, you can still do so until 13 February 2021 (12 noon IST). Visit here.

About Your Host

Cyrus Dalí Vesuvala is a singer/songwriter who has been writing music and lyrics for over four decades. He has written over 80 original songs, poems, and other musical compositions several of which he has illustrated with his original artwork. His music is available at soundcloud.com/psyve. Read more.

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!!

Know Your Poet: Sarayu Srinivasan

Courtesy: Sarayu Srinivasan

Sarayu Srinivasan is a dreamer and poet by heart. She is passionate about writing, dancing, and singing, and expresses herself through poetry—the one thing that keeps her going. She draws inspiration from day to day struggles, social and psychological issues and believes that poetry has the power to transform. Sarayu is a development sector professional and has worked in child care and research. She is also an admin of the Delhiwallah Poetry Collective. Follow Sarayu on Instagram.

Read Sarayu's poem Shades, a poem on the throes of child sexual abuse. Shades was the winning poem at a poetry competition organized by the Rotaract Club of Delhi Elite on 22 October 2020. The competition hosted many poetry enthusiasts and emerging poets.

Shades

All that I know are three shades

Bright blurry and dark

Gentle comforting and harsh

A jolly ride which could lead you to hell

Because it happened sooner than you could even tell

Shades of sweetness sweet poison and poison

A mere rat tempted by that savoury

Could never escape the trap of treachery

All that I know are three shades

Bright when he smiled at me

Goodies, praises, pastries, chocolates and flowers

Spending time with me for hours

Blurry when he used to touch me on the pretext of playing

Hide seek

Believing I was fragile and meek

And dark when he shut my mouth and did

Things to me which I could not understand

My innocent skirt was no longer innocent

But a gateway to slither his hands and rupture my

Building blocks...

Still trapped -the shades still flashing in my head

I am forty and sporty

But even today I shudder before going to bed

The devil might have left for his hellish abode

But still haunts me every moment

When I see Adam's lineage flashing their white teeth

Because that smile is but a beguile

It's rather frightening

Yes three shades,

All that I know are three shades...

Bright blurry and dark