Clitbait

perspective.

with them it was a time 
of no rules 
and at first glance,
what a thing of freedom. 

but the lack of rules meant
there was no umpire 
to mediate, the infringements,
the violations. 

with them it was a time 
of many moons
which, as i came to learn, 
were only visible in darkness. 

but the lack of light 
clouded my vision and 
gave you the false anonymity   
you needed to hurt me how you did. 

with you there are rules, 
ones we have agreed together, 
which means the field is levelled 
and we are here, together. 

my voice once again has value, 
and my yes means yes 
and my no means no
and you will still be there. 

with you there is the sun, 
and it casts its warmth over us 
and the waves go on, as they always did, 
but now i can see them. 

the golden glow 
allows me to admire the good, 
of which there is so much, 
in you.

Sophie Nankivell, Poetry Editor

Illness and beauty

to appreciate our beauty 
is to appreciate what goes on behind it
the very production
the machinery 
that ticks us on
that is the true beauty
that all our bodies work 
keep us all alive
but like with all hard work 
sometimes it struggles
sometimes it fails
seeing beauty in ourselves is hard
to find beauty in ourselves when it feels
the very production
the machinery
that ticks us on
doesn’t work
can feel harder
our bodies feel like weights
that drag
the invisibility of our suffering 
a struggle in itself
whilst putting on a brave face
and hiding the pain
green 
green 
green 
with envy
of the beauty of normal 
of a working body

our beauty 
is in our armour 
our ability 
to keep moving
to care for ourselves 
to both accept and deny
our beauty 
is worn everyday 
whether it’s in our tears 
or in our smiles

Nancy Loud
(@nancyloud)

 Lovely just the way you are

Wear your kajal or not

Soak yourself  in frankinscence   of lovely lilac scent or not 

Drape darling , with how you are ,

Drape darling, in  who you are 

Ornate bands of jasmine or not 

Buttery skin as sunshine or not 

Come darling with the essence of your love ,

Come darling with the essence of  bird flight and doves 

Blemishes as pink as the horizon havened in sun kissed dusk 

Or tans as swarthy brown as sandalwood skin ,

 Rise, ravish, pirouette, with all your mulmul soft heart.

Darling dwell daunting ,

dancing in the Meadows of topaz tiles ,

frolic in the gardens  abound like Babylonian highs.

Be as you are,

Explore the glistening sheen , the touch of skin 

The body a house of precious jewels 

Own the adornments in its art

 And

 Love yourself,  lacquering  love in your skies . 

S. Rupsha Mitra