frodosing

[frodosing]

Clothes

I slid open the cupboard and noticed my separate sections. A drawer piled neatly, my everyday clothes. Wore repeatedly, washed, folded and flattened,Always in sight, always in reach. On the top sat clothes, some old, very old and those rarely worn. Touched once or twice, out of sight and out of reach. Like a memory fading buried under yesterdays and todays.Cobwebs guard them. Daily has been…

[frodosing]

EXITS

The Exit I was told to exit. I struggled in a small spaceI left with a soul. I was 9 months old. I was told to exit.I fumbled, crawled, followed instructions.I walked on my own. I was 1-year old. I was told to exit. I metamorphosed.My body and emotions, complex, transformed.I was 11-years old. I was told to exit. I held a strangers hand to escape. I shifted base, from daughter to dame.I was…

[frodosing]

Life's Recipe, Altered. 

This year Ramadan is different. There is a layer of grief that blankets every moment. The khuda hafiz, The fruit chaat, The salaam, The late night chai,The loud Fajr Adhaan at home.This year Ramadan is different. There is a layer of gratitude that makes the absence of the father palatable.The prayers directed to his soul. The prayers directed to our healing. The prayers directed from all the well…

[frodosing]

Hello, Anger

Oh Anger,My toxic love affair.I steer clear.I consciously stay away.You shadow my every step.You hover like a glorious crown.You blur my vision with power.You amplify my voice like a tsunami wave.You make me crush whatever comes my way,You make me proud of my disgusting rage.You sit on my nose, ready to pounce.You sense my dipping patience.You overtake my heart,You make me tear my loved ones…

[frodosing]

Many Moons Ago

Moons I thought planets and stars were family, friends, and children.I thought I was the earth, and everything revolved around me.I thought those who kept their distance, light-years away, were better off.I thought the stars that exploded, beloved people lost, turned to stardust, showering their blessings on my world.I thought I could exist untouched, connected to everything beyond me.But with…

[frodosing]

Silence Stays

Settled in corners, echoing in chores. The silence rings loud, a gong to the soul. It hides at the doorstep where salaams rang loud. It sits inside the cellphone where friends and kin called. It blankets the sofa, the hall and the walls. Silence has covered the loud father’s call. We constantly look for the call to come aliveWe keep clearing the dust of memories settled on our lives. Memories…

[frodosing]

Death was Delivered

Death was delivered. Without a notice. No severence packageNo negotiations. The sentence was delivered, and we were logged of his timeline. Father was unexpectedly promoted. With immediate effect, changes followed:His address.His accountability.His responsibility.His existence. Death was delivered,His swift departure inspired hope, Hope for a promotion so sweet. He amassed blessings,From the…

[frodosing]

Spice in life.

Instead of lemons, I got served tomatoes. Let me know if you liked it. :) Love Frodo.

The tomato jumped in the water. It wanted to end its life. The others felt the pain. They followed his flight. They squashed on top of each other, Till a human made them realize, Together tomatoes make ketchup, It’s so freaking divine. They continued their sacrifice. Revealing the formula of immortality. Today ketchup isn’t a formality. It’s a necessity. The chilli was upset, seeing the tomato…

[frodosing]

Connections

I have a phone,But I’ve lost all connections.I struggle to find my own. I have hands,But I’ve lost touch.I stretch into the void and grasp nothing.I have a heart, But I’ve lost humanity.My feelings echo in a hollow entity.I have a life, But I’ve lost instinctI search for purpose, peace. I have a house,But I’ve lost the home.Distant loved ones, gone or growing old.I have feet, But I’ve lost…

[frodosing]

Burdens

We carry burdens. Of bones,Of flesh and blood. Of ancestors and generational traumaOf blood,Of streams and viens.Of lineage and inherited painOf eyes.Of sight and visionOf the past and a blurred present Of handsOf embrace and handshakesOf forced families and estranged friends Of our own. Of emotions clinging to the heart. Drowning the soul. We carry burdens. Of infinite lives, Each unknown.

[frodosing]

The Will To Write

Writing should feel simple.Fun. Exhilarating. Revitalizing. But I’ve known the weight of it,that whispering meek voice,“You should be doing this.Why haven’t you started?”I open the blank pageto face the blinking cursor,to scribble and continue scribbling.Blink. Blink. Blink.Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. A tiny invisible provocation,“Still nothing?Still blank?Why don’t you write?Why don’t you?”Some…

[frodosing]

I am a child of many hands

I am a child of many hands.Grandmas and grandpas,Uncles and aunts,Cousins galore,Neighbours from every floor.A chawl that felt like a massive mansion.I am a child of many hands,loved, blessed, cherished.Never forgotten.A family so big it increased the magnanimity of every square inch.I am a child of many hands,from a place where we lived closeate, shared and grew together.I’m a child of many…

[frodosing]

The Weight of Silence

Exploring Existence What does silence feel like? A cactus? Toxic air? Ever growing pile of laundry? Traumatic? Burdensome? A facade of existence?

[frodosing]

Fajr with Al-Qamar

Six friends travel for their annual trip to The Montigo Resorts and witness the Beaver moon in full bloom.

[frodosing]

Panadol

Panadol Promise I say it’s a headache,And walk away from disasters. I’m directed to a box,I’m told there lies my hope.That box has all the answers,The truth that I need.A Panadol, a miniscule tablet,To aid my aching needs.Who cares if it’s the head, the heart, or the soul?Let me take a couple more and sleep until I snore.In hopes that when I wake up, the headache will go away. Instead, I’m…

[frodosing]

Heart

The heart is heavy, frozen.So I kept it in a vessel.Lit a flame of love and let it simmer.I left it, covered it with a lid of time.I sat aimless, shameless, useless,till the aroma of compassion hit my senses.I smiled. I picked myself up and walked over.A few more minutes and the lid would fall over. The black broth, boiling, separating a layer of greasy disgust from the vibrant red heart.The lid…

[frodosing]

Reflection.

“You bite your nails one more time and I’ll apply chili powder on your fingertips,” Mom screamed. My eyes flinched. So I rubbed both simultaneously with my index fingers, till spots and grey bubbles started flushing my vision.  Who had even heard that crap from an adult? Well, I was 8, so I got scared and quickly pulled my fingers out of my mouth. But the lady in the reflection proceeded to…