Let our voices rise!

In collective mourning, deep to the bone we dive,  

A grief that in our silent whispers does thrive.  

Many, in shadows of 'bad faith', seek refuge,  

To deceive ourselves, from harsh truths we divert.

Beyond the mere unpleasant, into madness we're thrown,  

A political frenzy, shameless, fully grown.

Yet, let our voices sting, through the silence break,  

Against the tide of 'bad faith', our stand we take.

Complicity is a choice, in moral crimes we face,  

Our silence, a betrayal, we must not embrace.  

Let our voices rise, in love, respect, unity and strength,  

Shape our ethos, with an urgency.

For now is the time, our actions define,  

Against humanity's crimes, our voices align.  

In a collective call for justice, loud and clear,  

For the sake of humanity, let us all draw near.

-supriya

Published on 8th April 2024

ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಂದರೆ

ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಭರವಸೆ,  

ಕತ್ತಲೆಯ ತುದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳಕಿನ ಕಿಡಿ,  

ಸಮತ್ವದ ಮೈತ್ರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೃದಯದ ಬಾಗಿಲು.  

ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಗೌರವ,  

ಮುರಿದ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಮೌನವ ಮುರಿಯುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ,  

ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರ ಮಾನವೀಯತೆಗೆ ನೀಡುವ ಸಮ್ಮಾನ.  

ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಸಹಭಾಗಿತ್ವ,  

ಹೋರಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೈ ಜೋಡಿಸಿದ ಸಾಥಿಯ ತೊಡಕು,  

ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಬಲವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುವ ಬಾಂಧವ್ಯ.  

ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ನ್ಯಾಯಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಬಯಕೆ,  

ದಮನಿತರ ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿಗೆ ನ್ಯಾಯದ ಕೊಡುಗೆ,  

ಸಮಾನತೆಯ ಬೀಜವನ್ನು ಬಿತ್ತುವ ಧ್ಯೇಯಶಕ್ತಿ.  

ನಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಸೋತರೂ ಸೊರಗದಿರಲಿ,  

ನಾವು ನಡೆದಾಡುವ ದಾರಿಯು ನ್ಯಾಯದ ಕಡೆಗೆ,  

ಹೋರಾಟದ ಬೆಂಕಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳೆದು, ನಾವು ಒಗ್ಗೂಡುವೆವು.  

 -ಸುಪ್ರಿಯಾ

Published on 25th April 2024

Time-lagged solidarity

In the whispers of academia's halls,

Where echoes of freedom and speech resound,

Liberal minds stand tall,

But solidarity's plea often goes unfound.

When the cost is naught but mere words,

They champion causes, their voices loud,

Yet when action beckons, the tune absurd,

Justifications arise, a veiled shroud.

Academic freedom, their rallying cry,

Yet when challenged, they falter and wane,

Forced to confront truths that defy,

Their comfort zones, their intellectual domain.

But true solidarity knows no bounds,

It transcends the realms of privilege and fame,

It's found in actions, not just sounds,

In standing together, despite the blame.

So let us not preach from pedestals high,

Only to falter when the stakes are dire,

Let our solidarity not be a fleeting sigh,

But a steadfast flame, burning ever higher.

Published on 3rd May 2024

Inspried by many conversations I had with students, peers and friends, and mainly with my partner Aditya Narayanan.