The Japanese say that you have three faces. The first you show to the majority of the world, the second is reserved for your loved ones and the third is the one that no one will never lay eyes upon. The last face is a reflection of your ‘truest’ self. A curious concept, though one […]
It is Friday afternoon, Jumu’ah prayers have begun, and the muezzin’s prayer time calls have come to an end. My Muslim brothers recite “Allah Hu Akbar” – (God is great), little did they know that all don’t consider them, their brothers and sisters. An MSSA rifle then tears down their skin at a rate of […]
As I go to sleep, the world inside my mind comes to life,Unlike the one, I wake to tomorrow bearing bright light.I will be one with the one I seekAway from judgment, truths, and lies. And though I know it will all be a dream,Sweetheart, I will wake tomorrow by the bright light,Knowing we will […]
We compete with time,To postpone its inevitable consumption of our being. What if, instead we leverage on our abilityTo touch lives and create shared experiences? And through this process which might be time-consuming,We will be a part of someone’s stories.Stories that will be told,Far beyond time’s inevitable consumption of our being. Then we won’t have […]
A time of uncertainty, without guidance;He looks for solace but doesn’t find it;The firms keep applauding him, great milestones! they say,But never offer a cushion of stability. A juncture of anxiety, self-pity, and disbelief;He chooses to be his indefatigable self;Debilitated by constant repudiation;He chooses to ignore it, his inert grief. Possibilities and opportunities, come and […]
Have you ever got into dinner table arguments on politics and politicians? As much as these socio-political happenings effect and shape the world as we know it, do we really understand them? Opinion is often touted to be facts while facts evade some of the most literate people I know. Secondly, aren’t facts juxtaposed to […]
5 Years ago, I received an email confirming my admission at Singapore Management University. My excitement was palpable. For someone who had experienced it through the lens of a tourist, making it to the Merlion city was a dream come true. The broad roads, the well-laid pavements, efficient integrated transport systems, skyscrapers, and malls; all […]
I must confess, identifying a single evil that plagues society is a difficult chore. Having spent many a night, listening to documentaries on prostitution, gang violence, corrupt regimes, and refugees, I have plenty of options to choose from. Perhaps, I must talk about the boat people from Myanmar or repeated school shootings in a country […]
Be relentless in your pursuit Of building a home, That makes you feel warm, On a cold winter morning. Raise children, that both, Love and are weary Of a world being consumed By race, religion, war, and crime. Bleed, sweat and cry; Make sure that every drop Of your body fluid Is fuelling a career Soon […]
If I were to take you back to your childhood days, do you remember watching that one character on TV or in a movie and wanting to be just like him or her? As a child, my first thought of ambition was to be a pilot. This was in the late ’90s, and I was […]
True beauty is sadnessFor it can never last,A flower found in bloomThat shall wither too fast. True beauty is lossFor it shall never stay,Losing sinew chasing itOnly to lose your way. By Navin GettuPainting by Alexis Fazio
I fell for who you were, for what we had. Red roses that stood for what we had. But time passed and things changed. Now I’m holding onto dead roses. They remind me that beauty is never permanent. And as they wither away, soon all that will be left is the memory, which too, shall […]
I had lit myself on fire for you till the wick was all but burnt out.And yet you couldn’t comprehend the darkness that followed. By Navin GettuPicture by Daniel Amor
Funeral bands play symphonies in my headMy heart is led underground leaving a trail of redBeautiful and melancholy, my ribcage reverberatesAs Orpheus’ lyre once more opens, for me, Hades’ gates. By Navin GettuPainting credited to: Granger, circa. 1800
A medley of madness in the chaos of warDriving men to genocide in the name of their God.Their craze never-ending, their bloodlust grows more.Messiahs carry out death sentences, met with applaud.The death toll rises as fields are strewn with boneAnd the downfall of man is again in fault their own. By Navin GettuPainting by Francesco […]
She came back. We called it a new beginning, but it was like the time without her was a momentary lapse in what I felt was the best time of my life. And oh, how I love her. And yet, all the memories we missed, all those things that would make this a tragedy, they […]
I look down from the stratosphere, upon my city, mirroring the night sky.A while until I shall see it again, it looks so surreal in black and white.And in some corner of this star spangled city, on her bed my lover liesShining brighter than all the others, My, will she be a sight for sore […]
It doesn’t take much to see something and want it.When it’s something you can’t get then you’ve got all the more reason to have it.That’s how humans are; the Forbidden Fruit is our obsessionImmoral thoughts birth the objects of our affection By Navin GettuPainting by Nicolae Gutu
I lived my life with no strings attachedWith momentary pleasure that left me detached.And then came along the perfect puppeteerShe gave me a purpose, crystal clear.I could feel again, as I fell the fallTo love her seemed to be my call.But I couldn’t remain her marionette foreverAnd we let go, our regret to leave never.Once […]