Poetry Corner

Here is a selection from entries sent in by Open Sesame readers

1. Arunima Agarwal, 13, Pune, Maharashtra

The night is young

The night is young on sixth street

Its veil brings with it a deathly silence;

Stars in the sky, bright like the stars in your eyes

The moon red, like the blood on the pavement.

A shape-shifting figure makes its way through the night

From the dense canopy of leaves, where birds once sang;

Skin pale, like the man that now lies still on the ground

Fangs sharp, like the two marks on his neck

“A body found on sixth street”, they say

Early the next morn;

But these creatures of the dark rule the

night and by dawn, they’re long gone.

2. Christden Stephen, 12, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Birds in the air

Wings, wings, wings
What a thing!
The birds soar high
With wings they fly.

Why not me?

At night, I dream, dream, dream,
To have wings like the birds,
To feel free to fly,
To achieve what I want,
like the birds in the air.

3. Shriya Acharya, 15, Virajpet, Karnataka

Quarantined dreams

Caged inside, my heart runs wild
Aching for a glimpse outside
The clear fresh air, slow breeze
Sweet birdsongs, swaying of trees
Yellow Sun, its warmth on my skin
Scent of flowers, the joy it
brought within
Evening strolls on streets,
orange skies
Quiet nights ignited by fireflies
Each day at home passes by
With a bated breath to fly.

Hello poets!

On January 22, Open Sesame asked its young readers to send in their poetry. Soon, we were flooded with entries from across the country. Many poems were good, but we can only publish a few because of space constraints. Don’t let that discourage you. Get creative and keep writing, and stand a chance to be featured in an upcoming edition!

Send your poems to: [e-mail] (Open only to those below 16.)