Amrita V Nair
​​Monsoon 2016

*

The Gypsy

Today I think I'll sit back and
watch everything that was ever
fragile or beautiful or right
dissolve slowly
into the brightness of the night
where it is easier to
dip your pen into another vein
open another wound
and laugh witchlike at a world
which will revere you
for a frightening sanity
or burn you at the stake
for a tarot card or two.

​*

Faux Pas

Look,
I don't normally do this sort of thing
But haven't we met before
Yes, I know this sounds
Like something someone like me would say
Because I can't think of a better
More confident way
To come up to you
And introduce myself
Yes, I know my bag is a knockoff
that I bought
on a hot day in April
after haggling with the seller
until I wore through
his exhaustion and desperation
Or he wore through mine
And just let me think that I won
Because even he could see that I needed
a win
We all do these days
But especially me, I want to hasten to add
Things haven't been easy on me
Since the last time we met
I find myself walking into a room
And forgetting why I am there
More often now
And every day is like groping in the dark
Or like missing a stair
Or like kicking out in my sleep
Because I am falling in a dream
Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble
And now you look at your watch
And you say you have to go
And I remember why this is not
The sort of thing I normally do
I remember
That I'm just not supposed to.

*

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Amrita's first collection of poetry, Yours Affectionately, was published in 2009 and received the Jury's commendation at the Muse India National Literary Awards 2011. In 2013, she received the Jury's commendation at the Poetry Society of India All India Poetry Competition and was long-listed for the Toto Funds the Arts Writing Award. Her poetry has been published in Indian Literature, Kritya and The Nervous Breakdown. She now lives in Singapore, where she works as a policy researcher.