ISSN: 1941-4137
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
Aathma Nirmala Dious considers herself a writer of all trades, with soft spots for poetry, speculative fiction and personal essays. She would describe her cultural identity as a Malayali (Indian) from Abu Dhabi (UAE). Her work interrogates and centers around South Asian Migration to the Gulf, Cities, Language(s), Family and Femininity. She is currently a student at New York University Abu Dhabi, pursuing a B.A in Literature and Creative Writing.
Also by Aathma Nirmala Dious:
Three Poems
Planting M&Ms
tattoo
every time I dream of us/this hibiscus my mother tongue named chembarathi bloom in my chest/my bones/we drink this nectar in a kiss/chembarathi madness on my tongue/chembarathi red petals stain/from your lips/blooming across my shoulder/outlines becoming one with my skin/no matter how I hide them/Acha sees/sighs/kanna/ never trust permanent/their ruse/their make believe/you were born always temporary/Amma screams/ what are these / get rid of this madness / kanna/ we can’t afford it/the loans are cutting Acha again/ inconsiderate child/ the scars on Acha’s shoulders/Appapa had them too/ my fingers remember them/ from when I could still be carried by him / paper cuts /from money /over/over/the price of being a pravasi/ time flowing out of your body through the cuts/ the scars run deep/they sunburn in you/the desert sun is not gold/city slashed/into our souls/ cut my roots/from here /over/over/I woke up/your red lips smile has teeth/ across my shoulders/ you left little paper cuts/just like Acha/ maybe Amma is right/ this chembarathi/us/ is madness/ maybe/ Acha is wrong about always temporary/ these paper cut scars are an inheritance I cannot escape/
Glass: A Journal of Poetry is published quarterly by Glass Poetry Press.
All contents © the author.
All contents © the author.
