Lampshade Poetry Reading at Ofen (Identity | Friendship)
On Sep 3, 2023, we gathered to read on the themes Identity and Friendship at Ofen Bakery, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Dipen Jallan, our host, opened with a song, and poems were read in Hindi and English. Mr. Asif, who was also the photographer of the event read a Persian poem by Saadi. Also, poems focusing on Generational Trauma, Identity of a river, a cat, among other poems were read. 
Here are a few chosen poems from the Reading:
Here are a few chosen poems from the Reading:
Identity
I am a Song
By Shreyasi Rodricks
In the scattered golden rays
of the rising Sun,
chirp of birds, temple bells, call of azaan,
when the cool vernal breeze mops up
each nook, corner,
nudging sea waves, ripples in rivers, ponds, lakes,
with rejuvenating fragrance of flowers,
I am a song,
with the world waking up to a new dawn.
In days and nights and season’s cadence,
nature’s bounties, it’s fruits, food,
I live bound to them.
I sing my song, I celebrate,
I am in the likeness of all around me,
realising a sense of self in the world,
settlements of humans,
their feelings, hopes and despairs,
I am but a unit of the lyric
of all creation.
Breath
By Yashu Deggala
The arms of these paths
Ask me as I come and go
If this is my way
Big thoughts and small actions
Where am I among all these
weak bonds and deep talks
Melancholy, fear
Where am I among all these
courage, happiness
Am I the cold wind
Wound up in the woolen clouds
Memories, the earth
Cant see what's ahead
Don’t remember what's behind
I am just here now
Strong wants raw efforts
Fragile heart and solid love
Somewhere between them
The point of my life
I ask the air around me
It became my breath
Creeper in Clay
By Ananya S
A creeper in a pot
Rooted
Yet I grow
Inching closer
Towards the light...
The majestic tree
Gives a sideward smirk
But when the storm comes
I brave better
Still inching, inching
Towards the light...
Untitled
By Chandrika
As the orange peels itself
Through the clouds every morning
I sit by the window waiting for your song
It travels through the sky, like a butterfly
Fluttering its wings, jumping through canopies
Playing hide and go seek like a deer
Skipping through grasslands
My skin flickers in the sun while i gaze out of the window
I'm searching for you
A man whose name i know not, sits on your throne, in your house, singing his dead tune
The words- the stains on my rainbow
A car rushing towards my deer
A net capturing my butterfly
Accompanying the crackle of the leaves under my feet
But the sky will cry today
My deer will jump higher
My butterfly, faster
And i will wipe those stains off my rainbow
And love
What entails my spirit to be.
As a child, everyone is my friend, my family owned me.
Growing with age, I sit alone, disowned.
My friends don't consider me their own, they ask me if am he or she, what do I justify when I don't understand myself.
Have you ever explained what is not black or white?
By Shreyasi Rodricks
In the scattered golden rays
of the rising Sun,
chirp of birds, temple bells, call of azaan,
when the cool vernal breeze mops up
each nook, corner,
nudging sea waves, ripples in rivers, ponds, lakes,
with rejuvenating fragrance of flowers,
I am a song,
with the world waking up to a new dawn.
I walk with the day’s rhythm
in farms, fields of villages,
streets of towns and cities,
people and their activities,
emotions, memories in continuum,
voices of anxiety, pity, joy, exuberance,
living today, thinking of tomorrow,
I sing with the tide, now high, now low.
And when the Sun goes west
orange hue slowly gives way to darkness,
revealing the shining stars in sapphire skies,
silver Moon, the Luna goddess personified,
waxing and waning,
all in my realm, dominate the space.
In days and nights and season’s cadence,
nature’s bounties, it’s fruits, food,
I live bound to them.
I sing my song, I celebrate,
I am in the likeness of all around me,
realising a sense of self in the world,
settlements of humans,
their feelings, hopes and despairs,
I am but a unit of the lyric
of all creation.
Breath
By Yashu Deggala
Ask me as I come and go
If this is my way
Big thoughts and small actions
Where am I among all these
weak bonds and deep talks
Melancholy, fear
Where am I among all these
courage, happiness
Am I the cold wind
Wound up in the woolen clouds
Memories, the earth
Cant see what's ahead
Don’t remember what's behind
I am just here now
Strong wants raw efforts
Fragile heart and solid love
Somewhere between them
The point of my life
I ask the air around me
It became my breath
Creeper in Clay
By Ananya S
A creeper in a pot
Rooted
Yet I grow
Inching closer
Towards the light...
The majestic tree
Gives a sideward smirk
But when the storm comes
I brave better
Still inching, inching
Towards the light...
Untitled
By Chandrika
Through the clouds every morning
I sit by the window waiting for your song
It travels through the sky, like a butterfly
Fluttering its wings, jumping through canopies
Playing hide and go seek like a deer
Skipping through grasslands
My skin flickers in the sun while i gaze out of the window
I'm searching for you
A man whose name i know not, sits on your throne, in your house, singing his dead tune
The words- the stains on my rainbow
A car rushing towards my deer
A net capturing my butterfly
Accompanying the crackle of the leaves under my feet
But the sky will cry today
My deer will jump higher
My butterfly, faster
And i will wipe those stains off my rainbow
And love
Name
By Nivedita N
How often do we
hurl names at each other?
Names which are other
than sister or brother?
It's funny, not.
How many years would it take to see?
It's not what you wear or
what you eat or how you speak or
what you have in your wallet?
It's the scars that
you carry on your chest like a medal,
that were once a bullet.
Identity
By Navya Sree
What entails my spirit to be.
As a child, everyone is my friend, my family owned me.
Growing with age, I sit alone, disowned.
My friends don't consider me their own, they ask me if am he or she, what do I justify when I don't understand myself.
Have you ever explained what is not black or white?
It exists, but you cannot define it. How will the world ever know what it is to be me
What confines me to a body when my mind is free,
Judging me for skills I don't know to suppressing what I can hone.
What entails my spirit to be, when we are all born free.
What confines me to a body when my mind is free.
What confines me to a body when my mind is free,
Judging me for skills I don't know to suppressing what I can hone.
What entails my spirit to be, when we are all born free.
What confines me to a body when my mind is free.
Friendship
Do you remember that friend?
By Divya Murarka
Amongst those innocent faces in kindergarten,
With nosey dripping down their faces,
and tears rolling down their eyes.
Yet finding comfort in seeing each other.
Pictures: Asif Husain | Instagram Page
Amongst those innocent faces in kindergarten,
With nosey dripping down their faces,
and tears rolling down their eyes.
Yet finding comfort in seeing each other.
Do you remember that friend?
With whom you played all day along in pre-school,
Their presence made you jump with delight,
They were your world away from home.
Do you remember that friend?
From primary school, to middle school to high school,
Friends who ragged you, who comforted you, with whom you laughed and cried.
Friends with whom you shared your secrets and your amazement of life.
Friends who care for you for their entire life.
Do you remember that friend?
Who came up to you and asked “which city are you from?”
She offered you her home cooked food so you would feel comfortable.
Those carefree days of bunking college,
Of attending various inter-college competitions,
Of shopping crazily along with bird watching,
Of trying out new things in life.
With whom you played all day along in pre-school,
Their presence made you jump with delight,
They were your world away from home.
Do you remember that friend?
From primary school, to middle school to high school,
Friends who ragged you, who comforted you, with whom you laughed and cried.
Friends with whom you shared your secrets and your amazement of life.
Friends who care for you for their entire life.
Do you remember that friend?
Who came up to you and asked “which city are you from?”
She offered you her home cooked food so you would feel comfortable.
Those carefree days of bunking college,
Of attending various inter-college competitions,
Of shopping crazily along with bird watching,
Of trying out new things in life.
Do you remember that friend?
With whom you could share your inner world,
With whom you embarked on a new journey away from home.
Who was there for you from dusk to dawn.
With whom you could share your inner world,
With whom you embarked on a new journey away from home.
Who was there for you from dusk to dawn.
Do you remember that friend?
Who was there when life was shattered,
When there was only darkness you could see.
Who helped you gather yourself back,
And formed the backbone for you to bounce forward.
Who was there when life was shattered,
When there was only darkness you could see.
Who helped you gather yourself back,
And formed the backbone for you to bounce forward.
Do you remember that friend?
Who sat by your bedside when you were sick,
Who ran around the doctors to ensure you were all right,
Who made that warm soup for you to get back your strength,
Who took care of your loved ones so that you were at ease.
Do you remember that friend?
Who reminded you to live your life like there was no tomorrow,
Who took your hand and said everything’s gonna be alright…
Or rather everything is all right.
Who made you smile in spite of the pain in their heart.
Do you remember that friend in you?
Who has been with you all through your life?
By Adwik Murarka
Friendship is like a star that never fades,
It shines bright in the night sky.
Friendship is like a tree which keeps growing,
Leaves fall, branches break,
But they all grow back.
Friendship is like a mountain,
Whether a storm comes or thunder, It will always be there for you.
Who sat by your bedside when you were sick,
Who ran around the doctors to ensure you were all right,
Who made that warm soup for you to get back your strength,
Who took care of your loved ones so that you were at ease.
Do you remember that friend?
Who reminded you to live your life like there was no tomorrow,
Who took your hand and said everything’s gonna be alright…
Or rather everything is all right.
Who made you smile in spite of the pain in their heart.
Do you remember that friend in you?
Who has been with you all through your life?
By Adwik Murarka
Friendship is like a star that never fades,
It shines bright in the night sky.
Friendship is like a tree which keeps growing,
Leaves fall, branches break,
But they all grow back.
Friendship is like a mountain,
Whether a storm comes or thunder, It will always be there for you.
Pictures: Asif Husain | Instagram Page
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