Are you the version of yourself
You wanted to be ten years ago?
Did you finally learn to sew?
You must repair torn sleeves and fraying
Hemlines because all the fast
Fashion brands you wanted to
Afford are making women on the
Other side of tracks work 16 hours
A day. And the women still can’t feed
Their children. Sewing wont help their
Children but it will help you turn
Old sarees into curtains. Sheer
Curtains without the stains of hunger
Will make your room look bigger.
Did you learn to cook
For yourself? Please cook only for
Yourself without any leftovers for the
Fridge or for hope that someone might
Just appear to share your bland khichdi
In your apartment filled with pretentious
Art and loneliness. Cooking for yourself
Will help turn loneliness into solitude.
There are many things to fight against,
Food should not be one of them.
Did you learn to grow plants? From a seed
Preserved from an overripe fruit you had no
Intentions of eating? You must understand that
Farming is an art. Not even ‘also’ an art.
Art. Period. When your seed refuses to
Germinate in spite of trying every other
‘Hack’ available online, sit back, drink
Some water and extend solidarity to all
The farmers, growers and nurturers.
Please don't order grown plants online
Later. Plants and trees are not ornaments
Like they taught you in architecture school.
There are many things you can buy, avoid
Putting living beings on to that list.
After three decades of existing on this
Delicate planet, the only assets you
Should have with you are the intangible
Ones, not considered as achievements.
Like the ability to repair, recycle and reuse
Not just materials but relationships too.
They say this is the right to invest and grow
Your money. They are right but 30 doesn’t
mean losing the right to make wrong choices.
You must resist the temptation to be right.
Right is boring. Right is stagnant. Right is
Indoctrination. Be on the wrong or in other
Words, on the left side of the present. You
Are exactly where you are supposed to be
And even if you aren't, there is no way of
Knowing where you should have been?