• Home
  • Asian Arts Magazine  ▾
    • News
    • Arts
    • Culture
    • Films
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Photography
    • Poems
    • Stories
    • Ideas
    • Reviews
  • Artist Registry
  • Arts Community
  • Happenings

  • Submit Stories & Poems
  • Log In
  • List Art Events
  • Be On Artist Registry

  • What Is Eksentrika?
  • Get In Touch With Us
  • FAQ
  • Join Our Monthly Newsletter
  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram
  • Start Writing
  • Asian Arts Magazine
  • Artist Registry
Arts & Culture Malaysia | Eksentrika
Eksentrika Login
POETRY | Born Afraid by Rishi Lawrence
Rishi Lawrence

Written by Rishi Lawrence

POETRY | Born Afraid by Rishi Lawrence

Share this article via


A scared child writhed in his mother’s arms,

He learnt to draw blood from her breast and not milk,

His brow and feet are dotted in kohl,

To protect him from covetous eyes and black-spotted tongues

 

His first breath is of incense and not air,

The moon waxed and waned as the tide ebbed and flowed,

Until he could enter society when his head was washed clean,

With holy water by the hands of an unclean man

 

The cord that tethered him to safety is torn and rotten,

The world he once knew was gone,

As air filled his lungs and blood gushed through his little veins,

His mother held him close to her chest

 

This was her duty fulfilled,

Her husband’s blood and her gift to the world,

He already had a purpose,

He just didn’t know it

 

As teeth sprouted from his gums and words spewed from his mouth,

He knew he’d never be able to fulfil what was expected of him,

The womb he once knew was gone,

Withered and forgotten

 

He is too big for his mother’s arms now,

And so he has decided to sink back into the earth,

For if he closed his eyes,

Was it really any different from the darkness of the womb

Cover image by Gigin Krishnan on Unsplash. The copyright of this piece belongs to the author of this literary work.  

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Submit your short stories, poems, essays, reviews, and more here. 

telegram eksentrika

Rishi Lawrence

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Start Writing!

We accept short stories, poems, opinion pieces, and essays on a complimentary basis.

SUBMIT

Other Stories You May Like

alas-a-dream-amizura-hanadi

Alas, A Dream by Amizura Hanadi

Amizura Hanadi

kellies-castle-arjun-dhillon

Kellie’s Castle by Arjun Dhillon

ARJUN

Oh, My Malaysia is a poem by Malaysian poet, Malini Lakshmi Bai

Oh, My Malaysia by Malini Lakshmi Bai

Malini Lakshmi Bai

champagne-kisses-alvin-moses

Champagne Kisses By Alvin Moses

Alvin Moses

For-Once-Be-Kind-O-Spiteful-Netizens-Mior-Azhar-Pix-by-ronnie-overgoor

For Once, Be Kind, O’ Spiteful Netizens

Mior Azhar

evening-breeze-poem-by-ramakrishnan-photo-by-namrata-shah

Evening Breeze by RMS

RMS

About Eksentrika

Eksentrika is an arts community and an online Asian arts magazine with an artist registry. Join us to get inspired and find Asian artists here!

Quick Links

  • About Eksentrika
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.

Join Our Newsletter

Love what we do?


All Rights Reserved © 2023 Eksentrika | By eJeeban Web Design Company

  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram