Thirteen Reasons Why Not

By Ankita Mishra



To you who left an echo of your pain,

 

And to you who needed a corpse to remind you you’re human.

This is your tape.

 

Tape 1, Side A & B

 

I know life is not your favourite color right now, but, truth be said, even a black or a white is better than being blind.

(Personally, no color will ever be brighter and purer to me than black and white but if colours and broken crayons matter to you, this one’s for you.)

The world is not simple enough to accommodate mere shades of grey; it begins with a white palette and hands you the paintbrush.

Your life, your easel, the colours of your soul.

 

Tape 2, Side A & B

 

Remember the night you went stargazing?

Aren’t stars just carefully bandaged lights, darling?

Perhaps, the paint red would suit the town more than your wrists!

Or, or, or! Paint your bedroom ceiling with starry skies and the heavens above, love!

Mark the memories that hurt you so they can become the stars that enchant you.

 

Tape 3, Side A & B

 

Question. Wonder. Talk.

Shout. Scream. Speak.

I know you don’t want them to hear you. You think you’re not enough.

But there’s always someone who’s ready to listen.

Listen to you, not a map of cassette tapes.

Guilt is not what you need to satiate.

Honey, you’re more than a map of criss crossed pain pathways.

You are so much more than 'enough'.

 

Tape 4, Side A & B

 

I know there come hot chocolate friends.

There’ll also come white collar whiskey friends.

And apple juice at picnic friends.

People come and go in two's and three's and four's, and so does pain.

And so does joy and the chaos of happiness.

That’s life.

And Life can’t be used as an excuse not to love yourself.

Life can’t be used as an excuse to give up.

 

Tape 5, Side A & B

 

You see, There are Novels in your stories, and Music in your laughter.

Poetry in your words and crimson Love in your blood.

Your mind is a Museum.

Your thoughts are works of Art.

The crown jewel of it all, though, has to be your beautiful heart.

If only you saw yourself through my eyes.

 

Tape 6, Side A & B

 

I’d call you light.

Without your everglow, darkness would engulf all in its path and instruct the lives of so many to be lackadaisical in…life.

Without light, without you, they would be comatose.

Lost in a world of life, a living grave of memories.

You are the light they need to let night time turn into day.

You are the light synonymous to life.

You are a light and it would be a shame if you would not love yourself for shining.

Go on ahead. Radiate. You are not meant to burn.

 

Tape 7, Side A.

 

You are meant to live another day, dear light.

 

Taaron ke beech, ho tum, raat ke Humsafar.

Anjaane Paheli ke raah par.

Na suraj jaane, na chandaniyaan,

Andheri Raaton se baatein bhi kar lete ho,

Toh phir kyun nahi hai subah ka intezaar?

 

Amongst the stars, I see you, lover of the Night.

There is an unkown puzzle you seek, a journey in sight.

Know not the daystar, nor the moonlight.

Why just converse with the after-light,

And not wait for the Dawn?

Let the Sun be proud of its progeny, after all?

 

 

Love,

A.


5 comments

  • Stupendous supreme surprising superb & all such adjectives can be appended to this creation by a teenager.

    Vimal vasisht
  • Brilliant piece of work. I love the way melancholy gives way to hope at the end. Keep writing, dear girl – you are destined for great things.

    Ram Vaidyanathan
  • Outstanding insight… had to read the beautiful piece four times to understand some of it … need to go through it some more times. . Way to go Ankita ?❤️

    Samahit
  • I Like the concept. Cuttings illustrated can amplify it.

    Prateek
  • This is beautiful. Loved the idea and the message it carried. Keep writing! :)

    Divya Mondal

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