#115: Let's hold each other till this passes
On small kindnesses left on doorsteps and finding the fuel that feeds you
Art by Montserrat Gudiol
When by John O'Donnell
And when this ends we will emerge, shyly
and then all at once, dazed, longhaired as we embrace
loved ones the shadow spared, and weep for those
it gathered in its shroud. A kind of rapture, this longed-for
laying on of hands, high cries as we nuzzle, leaning in
to kiss, and whisper that now things will be different,
although a time will come when we’ll forget
the curve’s approaching wave, the hiss and sigh
of ventilators, the crowded, makeshift morgues;
a time when we may even miss the old-world
arm’s-length courtesy, small kindnesses left on doorsteps,
the drifting, idle days, and nights when we flung open
all the windows to arias in the darkness, our voices
reaching out, holding each other till this passes.
Other poems that made me smile this week:
1. The Lilies by Wendell Berry
Amid the gray trunks of ancient trees we found
the gay woodland lilies nodding on their stems,
frail and fair, so delicately balanced the air
held or moved them as it stood or moved.
The ground that slept beneath us woke in them
and made a music of the light, as it had waked
and sung in fragile things unnumbered years,
and left their kind no less symmetrical and fair
for all that time. Does my land have the health
of this, where nothing falls but into life?
2. Hidden by Naomi Shihab Nye
If you place a fern
under a stone
the next day it will be
nearly invisible
as if the stone has
swallowed it.
If you tuck the name of a loved one
under your tongue too long
without speaking it
it becomes blood
sigh
the little sucked-in breath of air
hiding everywhere
beneath your words.
No one sees
the fuel that feeds you.
3. A huge frog and I by Kobayashi Issa
A huge frog and I,
staring at each other,
neither of us moves.
I found the perfect GIF with David Attenborough in it for this Kobayashi Issa poem.
Recommended Listening:
-#MemorialForUsAll - Yo-Yo Ma (So grateful I discovered him on Zahra's beautiful newsletter Midnight Dispatch.)
-The Week That Was (a podcast on pop-culture by two journalists in Mumbai)
-Angel Olsen: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
-to Perth, before the border closes - Julia Jacklin
-Sylvan Esso (Live on KEXP at Home)
Links of the Week:
The Reflection in Me, an animation about self-appreciation <3
-Must watch: Landscapes of Memory: Tishani Doshi and Carlo Pizzati discuss how location and landscape inform their writing
-Happy Birthday Madras Courier! Go show them some love here.
-Your guide to making big decisions right now
-My interview with the phenomenon that is Eshna Kutty on Hyperallergic
-Quarantine Pressure Washer Art (People are so frigging inspiring!)
-Download: Manifesto of the Brave and Brokenhearted by Brené Brown
This is my newsletter #11: Manojna Yeluri
Manojna Yeluri, my dear virtual friend from Cooke Town, took over This is my newsletter yesterday. Her beautifully written letter to the readers on magic, justice and transitions.
Read the full newsletter here and subscribe to be greeted by a surprise curator every Sunday!
New on the website:
1. I'm absolutely in awe of these accordion books by Rutuja Mali from everyday objects!
"I never really planned the entire series, but only had the matchbox frame in mind. Doing that, I thought of experimenting more and started looking for other things at home. The idea was to illustrate funny insights of these day to day products, that everyone can relate to. The accordion format gives an element of illustrated surprise inside every pack."
-Rutuja Mali
2. "The chef plates the Baklava onto a Turkish china,
Warm and soggy, seductively dipped in vanilla and honey,
Your lips part, my lips part,
Eager to meet the sweet aftertaste."
-from the delicious poem Saudade by Rini Bankhwal. Full poem here.
3. “Abandoned home gathering dust
dance with fluffed curtains
when a mouse runs over the piano keys”
-Joy by Ajay Jhawar + Read his second poem Gentle here.
4. I’m thrilled to showcase the brilliant animation, illustration and 3D design work by Amar Chaurasia on the website! See the full series here.
#TAPTOBER2020 Days 6-11: Click each word prompt below to see the curated artworks from each day
GIF for the prompt Ice cream by Squidink Studio
Day 6: Afternoon
Day 7: Blue
Day 8: Uncertain
Day 9: Reading
Day 10: Patterns
Day 11: Ice cream
Poetry of Resilience: On World Mental Health Day, I invited some of my favorite poets to read a poem that gives them strength. I’m sharing all our recitations here:
-Avinab Datta Areng reads Franz Wright’s poem for Frank Stanford
-Tishani Doshi reads The Mountain by Louise Glück
-I read my favorite poem Relax by Ellen Bass
-Sunil Bhandari reads So Much Happiness by Naomi Shihab Nye
-Nandini Varma reads Survival by Leah Umansky
-Niyati Bhat reads Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong by Ocean Vuong
-Kaav Ranj reads her own poem the healing
-Yamini Krishnan reads Good Bones by Maggie Smith
-Manjiri Indurkar reads Nothing Twice by Wislawa Szymborska
-Vasvi Kejriwal reads Thinking by Danusha Laméris
-Millo Ankha reads Just lying on the Grass at Blackwater by Mary Oliver
-Vishal Kumaraswamy reads I Have Folded My Sorrows by Bob Kaufman
Notes before bed:
-I’ve been sober for the past two weeks, and having some bizarre, hyperreal dreams and filling my morning pages journal with all those wild dreams. I highly encourage you to try it out :) I also resonate with Austin Kleon’s words: "A notebook is a good place to have bad ideas." So if you don’t have a notebook, get one and write, write, write.
-I got my wisdom teeth extracted over the weekend, and it was incredibly violent and traumatic. I couldn’t fall asleep post surgery, and turned to Headspace’s Meditation for Pain. It worked, and I’m super grateful for Headspace in my life. :’)
-The only thing I’ve seen in the past week is David Attenborough’s witness statement to our planet - A Life on Our Planet. It's horrifying and a must-watch for every human being on this planet. We can do SO much better at an individual and collective level, starting with awareness! Let’s try and do co-existence right as a species. (Also, just switch to bucket baths already! #muglife)
Take care, and remember: the pandemic is still upon us. So wash your hands and wear your friggin masks!
Thank you for reading,
Rohini
If you enjoy the newsletter or wish to support my endeavours, you can become a monthly patron here or contribute to thealiporepost@okhdfcbank. Thank you :)