So here we are again. On our third issue which also happens to have released on the new year’s eve. So let me give a brief overview of what we have for you this time.

This issue contains ten poems from six very talented poets.

Our first poet is Reena Prasad who has contributed two poems for this issue. The poem ‘Promise’ starts with disturbing imagery which further intertwines with the self introspection on the part of the poet, and ‘Amaranthine Canvas’ portrays the process of a creation in the form of a poem. We are indebted to Reena for contributing for the magazine.

Amartya Ghosh’s ‘Aurora’s Lament’ is significantly lyrical and this can be attributed to the fact that Amartya is a Musician. In his poem, Amartya takes the tragedy of Tithonus in the Greek mythology and presents it from Aurora’s perspective.

Becky Kilsby has contributed two poems which vary hugely when it comes to the subject. One can instantly feel the importance of the title- ‘*Sonia, 14′- in the course of the poem. A poetic photocopy of one of the many concerns prevailing in the Middle-East, the poem takes off strongly from the very first stanza,

‘Between a rock and a heartless place
they will give me a terrible death.’

and the intensity continues till the last stanza which brings the poem to a circular stop. ‘Memory Stick: A Trick of the Tongue’ is a recommended reading from our side for its imagery. Written with a lighter tone and having included phrases like ‘breakfast at Tiffany’s', the poem gives ample content to relate with and enjoy.

Priyanka Dey’s ‘At the Gates of Borgha’ initiates its story like a fairy tale and as the poem proceeds, it gets darker and darker. For Priyanka, this poem is not just a dark fantasy but a parallel realm created to show the negatives of our own contemporary reality.

Parama Sahoo and Kriti Sharma were with us when the first issue was launched, and we have read and enjoyed their prose contributions. This time, however, they have contributed poems for this issue. ‘Infinity’ is a contradictory title for the poem since the ending lines are composed for just the opposite purpose, that is, ‘the absence of infinity’. ‘Escapist’ is the analysis of something which we feel, and have experienced, at times- an escape into the mist of alcoholic ‘high’.

Kriti Sharma’s poems are placed at the two very different moods. ‘The night is your friend’ is inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘A Starry Night on the River Rhone’. With a significant romanticisation of the night and attaching threads of optimism throughout, reading this poem will surely be a delightful experience. ‘I Write of Those Who Give Me Gold’ is a dialogue which not only reflects the anxieties of being a poet but also leaves a huge impact with its closing lines:

“I do not write of the poet
Disillusioned, embittered, lost.
I write of those who give me gold.”

Finally, for the Gallery section, we are featuring ‘Ethereal Colours’ in this issue. Etheral Colours is an enterprise founded by Ayush Dinker and Abhishek Saha. Through their cameras, Ayush and Abhishek give us a few perspectives to religion, and we think that with the inclusion of the slideshow feature in the Gallery section, you will enjoy every shot featured in this issue.

Thus, we sincerely hope that you will like the contents of this issue.

With best regards and new year wishes, I am
Yours truly,

Mihir Vatsa
Associate Editor