Lurking in the side-lines
Nishtha Tripathi
brown is supposed to be black’s shier sidekick, lurking in the side-lines.
the lone bench at the back was always my pick, lurking in the side-lines.
in english class, shakespeare besmirched ganymede with a honeyed hue.
my sepia soul, dismembered for a cheap trick, lurking in the side-lines.
the cafeteria echoed with ‘midget-midget’, saddled like greasy food onto a plate.
my stunted spine met with hate, the spineless prick, lurking in the side-lines.
the coach’s whistle ravaged layers of my fat, like a toenail piercing a favourite sock.
heavy disappointment tethered to a sickly stick, lurking in the side-lines.
school dances spent bereft of company, lockers vandalised every other day.
a trampled wallflower, a forgotten asterisk, lurking in the side-lines.
cello music notes melting into unwritten, unsent love notes.
loving second-hand through pitiful fanfics, sad reality lurking in the side-lines.
an army of warriors from amazon and artemis’ worshippers from temple halls,
i shall stand tall from the ashes, like a phoenix, with athena lurking in the side-lines.
