“I would give you the moon if I could.” A classic lovers’ line perhaps, but one that ultimately tells you nothing. Keep your dramatic hypothetical declarations to yourself and tell me instead what you will do, because you can. Will you hold me when I’ve had a bad day? Will you wipe my tears, cookContinue reading “short thoughts: on love and moons?”
Author Archives: Mubashshira Rahman
Soft landing
Take a leap of faith, they say. If you fall, if you crash and burn, well, you’re only young once. Adages, both old and new, keep piling up. As if youth is shield enough as if it’s rendered us unbreakable. My feet at the precipice, I peer down in nervous anticipation I don’t want wings,Continue reading “Soft landing”
For Mumtaz, with love
For every thousandth footstep that crosses your threshold, does she feel his devotion a little bit more? For every awed gaze cast upon your alabaster splendor, is she reminded that she was his muse? For every lover inspired by the story of how you came to be, does she think of how he chose herContinue reading “For Mumtaz, with love”
Confessions of a reluctant romantic
I recently realised something about myself – I’m a romantic. A reluctant, closet romantic. This was apparently quite obvious to many who know me, but I always thought of myself as a realist. I’ve never been swayed by grand gestures or believed in love at first sight or even “happily ever afters”. I’ve taken itContinue reading “Confessions of a reluctant romantic”
A new chapter?
So at first it was all quite and exciting and everything. Moving back to what is possibly the greatest city in the world, and no lockdown in sight! A stressful but exciting time. Now, however, it would not be inaccurate to say that I identify more as a tightly knit ball of stress than IContinue reading “A new chapter?”
short thoughts: on judging one’s existential state, or, the answer to “how are you?”
When people ask how you are, I wonder how many actually know what they are asking? Is it just a customary greeting? Are you enquiring about my overall well-being, encompassing my personal, professional, and social lives? Is it a question on how I am physically, whether all my parts are in working order? I spentContinue reading “short thoughts: on judging one’s existential state, or, the answer to “how are you?””
short thoughts: on why I create, and why I share
Creation begets creation, this post is a testament to that – these thoughts came to me while commenting on another post where someone questioned our urge to create and share. For me, the need to write often arises as an outlet for the overwhelm in my mind, but also as a way to preserve myContinue reading “short thoughts: on why I create, and why I share”
Ode to a tomato
Seasons shifted, and I waited peered through vines sifted through the rest and there you were, shiny and plump your bursting flesh revealing your youth I couldn’t help but reach out for you – the literal fruit of my labor and love Written for dVerse’s Poetics challenge for the week, where Sanaa asked us toContinue reading “Ode to a tomato”
The Harem in Me
I’ve been reading Elif Shafak’s memoir Black Milk: on Writing and Motherhood recently. The writer talks of the “harem of women inside her”, she calls them her Choir of Discordant Voices, her Thumbelinas, her finger-women. These women inside her are both her guides and her critiques; they disagree on everything and argue constantly, there’s noContinue reading “The Harem in Me”
short thoughts: on beginnings and endings
“Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end.” I consider these words as I try to trace our journey, from the first awkward introduction to now. I’m trying to figure out how we got here, how every soul baring conversation, every round of banter, every unexpected adventure, every conflict ofContinue reading “short thoughts: on beginnings and endings”