I wrote this poem in 1986, 18 years old. Youth is celebrated, but young hearts can wither, too. Pain, grief, loneliness and unrequited love know no age. Compare this poem to Death of a Girl, written two years earlier in
Youth
Children, Children!
This poem, written at age 15, mourns the loss of childhood. It was one of my late father, Ramesh Chandra Shukla’s favourite poems. The painting is by my mother, the artist Kusum Shukla. Compare this poem to The Hour of
Portrait of Dignity
I wrote this poem in 1984, age 16. It describes the dignity with which one can bear one’s pain, even if one cannot hide it entirely. Compare this poem to The Flame (1985). The painting is by my mother, the