It sounds like a good time- whenyou tell me you are taking the train andlove dancing in the rain, and I see you blushagain when I say next time, we’ll take thetrain and we’ll be dancing in the rain. It sounds like a good time- whenI see your eyes shine at the corn cobs whenthey … Continue reading Sounds Like A Good Time
Author: Dhruv Somayajula
I write poems, thoughts, and the occasional stories. Something entertaining, something thoughtful, something to introspect, something to criticize.
Tears for You, Eddie
It starts with a stupid lump in my throat- "Why does my face feel so hot?" Tears.Tears brim and flow from helpless eyelids,trickle down my cheeks and wet my lips.I hastily wipe them away. Is today the day? For a moment I held it in, shook my head,exhaled and thought “Be ashamed!A tear is a … Continue reading Tears for You, Eddie
Mornings in my neighborhood
My neighborhood has a very predictable morning. Flowers bloom in March. It rains in July. It's hot in May and cold in December. Regardless, the municipality cleaning ladies roll their cleaning trolleys up the streets every day, parking it from time-to-time as they sweep up plastic and other garbage from the streets and fling it … Continue reading Mornings in my neighborhood
Morning Madness
(A Dhruv Somayajula hyperventilation based on absolutely true events) I woke up to a harrowing experience, no less a battle than Cannae, Panipat and Plassey, though the numerical odds between the combatants were quite level. The following is my mission report: "0900 hrs - June 11, 2021 - The Battle of the Almirah This huge, … Continue reading Morning Madness
Reviewing ‘Treasure Island’ by RL Stevenson
(SPOILERS AHEAD) I am a big fan of Disney's Pirates of the Carribean franchise, and the history of pirates and their depiction in general. Which is why I jumped at the chance to read this book and pen some thoughts to spread some love for the piracy trope. The novel Treasure Island by RL Stevenson … Continue reading Reviewing ‘Treasure Island’ by RL Stevenson
Are you even there?
(Trigger Warning: I have jotted down some reflections on the pandemic in India, about the "system" and the response to devastation by the powers that be. I acknowledge that it is an achingly draining topic for many of us, with the tragic losses we see all around. I also wondered if it is right to write anything negative on the epic mishandling we have witnessed. I have chosen to share this poem despite these thoughts, because I believe that recording one's thoughts in these times (a) serves as a bookmark for the future, and (b) censoring oneself to avoid asking questions and remaining positive is toxic positivity and absolves those who deserve these questions. Please read this only if you are comfortable with broaching this topic. You can always drop me a text to discuss this poem, or anything at all, any time. In these times, solidarity and time with friends and family, and engagement with each other will see us through.)
Kindness
(An ode to the millions of kind souls and their life-saving work during these troubling times.) Kindness breeds with contact,passed down from a kind soulto another, an ever-sharing cycleof care, empathy and tenderness. Kindness grows not on the wallsin our hearts but in its cracks,and fills up the spaces- lookinggood while doing so too. I … Continue reading Kindness
Little Things
Little steps I took as a child,tottering, falling, and bawling.But those steps got me here,and now I am walking fine. Little by little I spelled out words,Tea, Are, Eye, Sea, Kay, Why-But as tricky as the words were,today I think and read and write. Little toys I played with, and mademodel planes and conducted trains.But … Continue reading Little Things
The Importance of History
Indian history does not get talked about enough (the what-actually-happened-and-was-recorded part of it and NOT the flying spaceships, anti-gravity stones, and our prescient discovery of head transplants kind). History school books generally emphasize a select few empires and dynasties, relegating the rest of our vast history to a footnote or a paragraph. Like shining a … Continue reading The Importance of History
A Day at Juhu Beach
Hotel Sea Princess is a charming and elegant hotel on the Juhu beach, offering me a scenic view of the Arabian Sea. The vast expanse of the light blue waters merging with the sky on the horizon, and the diminishing wetness of the packed sand on the beach is a natural Prozac to a weekday. … Continue reading A Day at Juhu Beach
