How strange to my eye
is the tree
I brought home today;
Now
that it stands in a lonely corner
resembling nothing of its former self;
What do I see?
I see
a dead tree ---
brightened by fairy lights
but weighed down
by assorted baubles;
Like a family gathered for a photograph---
forced to smile
but still
hanging on.
About the poet:
Petula D’Souza was born in a desert country and has been speeding her way through life since. She burns hours at a desk during the day, leaving her a tired writer at night, and an overthinker at all hours. She prefers to keep her nose inside a book , and drowns out discord with Spotify. You can find snippets of her interests and musings floating around Instagram @pd.loves.words and short stories on Terribly Tiny Tales (ttt). Her poems have been featured online in Poems India, Streetwriters Official and Gulmohur Quarterly. Currently, she is learning how to speak in emojis to keep up with Gen Z.
About the artist:
Sanjana is an aspiring social worker, and artist from Guwahati, currently pursuing a Master's in Design from Ambedkar University Delhi. She is an enthusiast and an avid follower cinema art. Someday, she hopes to start her own publication dedicated to Zines & Magazines representing social issues through the medium of art. You can check out her works on Instagram with username as @eunoia_bysanjana and also, an online presence of cinema culture with username as @storyteller.zine.