My little flame
Inside me is a small flame
It has a name, yes, it has, a name
It’s tiny, it flickers all the time, it struggles
With all its might to stay upright
This speck of fire, which burns inside me eternally
Encroaches on my vision across time and space
I have drawn for it
Gallons of water from every spring, every river
Known to me
Every well that I could reach out to
(Merely because water on this earth is more abundant
Than fuel.)
With insouciance of unknown origin
The flame defies the deluge. Always.
My little flame has a name but no shame, for
It resurges into an erect position
Again and again and yet again
It has a name and a quest, too
An ache, a craving, an insatiable thirst
To turn every drop of the invading water
Into vapour that will flee
In mortal fear of my little flame
Never, never to return.
The name of this small flame that resides in me is
‘I DESERVE THE BEST”
by Shubha Khandekar
My dear friend–cum-guide, Shubha Khandekar, dedicated a poem to me. She has encapsulated such a basic, small want of mine, in such a beautiful manner. Thank you Shubha, for giving me the encouragement and the push to believe in my dreams and desires and to never settle for anything less than THE BEST. Merci Beaucoup, Shubha!