VAISHALI NARASIMHAN describes how a very tough period during the pandemic was followed by a beautiful re-emergence, thanks to her love for poetry and the city of Chennai in the south of India.
After I left school, I stopped reading Kabir Das, Rabindranath Tagore, Emily Dickinson, and Sylvia Plath. It remained a veiled interest. Following a tough period during the pandemic – despite the fact that we were all in that unusual circumstance together – our paths diverged and we isolated ourselves. I felt lost. How can you convey what you’re thinking when you’re lost in your thoughts and unable to express yourself? So I reasoned to myself.
February 23, 2021, was a watershed moment in my life. It was 3 a.m. and I couldn’t sleep. I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across a poem narrative. I heard it once, twice, and something about it compelled me to listen to it every day. On December 4, 2021, I discovered what that “something” was: this lovely thing about simplicity, honesty, and love. I began attending open mics on poetry and story-telling in Chennai, hosted by a small group of people known as Deleted Drafts, and I fell in love with my city, its people, and its surroundings. I wondered, “Where have you been all these days?”
I discovered what
that “something” was:
this lovely thing
about
simplicity, honesty, and love.
I sat there listening to experiences similar to mine. I felt vulnerable and I choked up behind my mask. Masks are multifunctional! I felt a weight fall off my shoulders, something heavy and painful. Today, I began writing poetry, and I shared my thoughts with the rest of the world. I remembered Aisha (from the movie Wake Up Sid) saying, I have a strange feeling of love for this city. You can only heal yourself with time.
Thank you for your time and poetry, and happy morning to you, Chennai.
Illustration by HilaryDesign
