I’m elated to share that the oft-teased collection, VALIDATION, is finally here! 15 weeks, and 150 days, after turning 15, I present 15 poems that represent moments in the past year where I’ve felt deep love, sorrow, grief or desire.
These poems truly reinforce the mantra of life’s lyrical irony. Such chaos and sleeplessness is best captured through emotive poetry, relatable for all, young or old. Closely related to its sister collection, Reputation, these poems aim to inspire thought, introspection, rebellion and intrinsic emotions.
Thus, here I present the track list for VALIDATION:
track list
Album cover:
First poem from VALIDATION, Falling comes out Friday, 25th November 2022.
Dear readers, I’m elated to share with you all that I recently had the privilege of meeting the world-renowned South African comedian and talk show host, the one and only, Mr. Trevor Noah!
I was able to share with him a poem I wrote, titled ‘The Man With The Mission.’ It is about Trevor Noah himself and his inspiring life experiences. I’m pleased to present the poem to you here:
Growing up in South Africa, raised by his grandmother’s stories, About how, back in my day, we had much greater worries, Learning to get through apartheid alive, while wading through stereotypes and a controlling regime, Product of a crime worse than treason, a police state, the perfect racism ’twas deemed,
Everything from missiles in Ukraine, to dresses and Kim K, To family laws, democratic institutions and Trump saying Namaste, He’s taught me more about South African politics than I know of my own country, But now, I’ve got very strong views about Jacob Zuma’s policies,
More than a comedian, more than an activist, he’s the global phenomenon, The man with the mission, to make the world laugh, he’s called Trevor Noah! ANVI TUTEJA
And I’d say it was pure fiction, and it is (but only barely.) Also, maybe a bit different than my other poetry in wandering poet or the real me, but is actually fresh writing (and promises hope for the future, perhaps something like illusion or optional nostalgia), unlike Transcript, which spent three months in my drafts before I felt I could publish it.)
searching for something anything that could make you feel like you were worth something
Presenting, the latest in Reputation – Evly, The Evil Queen
Presenting – the latest in Reputation – Evly, The Evil Queen
People tend to be creative, When they’re condemning others, Short and crisp, yet variably interpretive, Not meant to be, just one among another,
They called me, The Evil Queen, They called me special, they thought I was different, But lying in wait, silently seen and unseen, And I realised they said the same, to everyone sent,
No one knows, the face behind curtain, Nobody cares about the face behind the veil, And as I tread into the uncertain, The void caved in and they said my soul was for sale,
But I was between the devil and the deep sea, (cover) Quietly disapproving, as if their looks could kill, And if they could, I would be dead a thousand times over, And now its midnight, but not quite, and the world is still,
Waiting to see my reaction, Pleading to see my refraction, And they lie in wait, not to harm but to hurt me, And that’s the true punishment, my return from my investment, All I get is another sneer that chips my heart, too far to see,
I was the bond, the glue, the solvent that saved the kingdom, And because I wanted more, I was no longer Daddy’s Good Little Girl, And they said, I killed the King, but I just wanted my very own Queendom, And through the cracks in the mirror, the opened doors, I saw the secrets unfurl,
And I brought the truth to light, the blames that they pinned on me, Yet it was not enough, and I became the Queen who could not leave, They brought their pitchforks, their fires and their deepest sees, But at least, I know now, I will finally be a symbol of peace. ANVI TUTEJA
Presenting – the latest in Reputation – Drag In My Soul
Presenting – Drag In My Soul
I think too much about what people say, I dwell too much about one or the other way, They drag in my soul, still innocent and whole, They use tried strings and broken dreams,
They are devasted and in need of repair, Their souls given up much too long ago, unscare, But a light within me, does resist the deep sea, Is that the devil, already claimed my soul to level?
They told me I was perfect for the job, They were the first to say, but last to rob, Because they say, I’ll never get out of their way, Yet I resist, even though they told me it was pointless,
Yes, they drag in my soul, into this little sadistic game of theirs, Yet I stay calm, not a hair out of place, I have no fear, because I have heard it all, their leers, And that may just be, something that saves me,
I got out of there in time, or rather they left, For it seems my life is just impossible to wreck, And I smile, because it seems it worked, all the while, I can finally go back to being me, for I’m certainly more than what the eye sees. ANVI TUTEJA
Presenting – the latest in Reputation – Tell Me What to Be
Presenting – Tell Me What to Be
There is a drag in my soul, listless, I am at the end of a winding road, endless, They tell me what to be, And they end up crossing me, In the dead of night, when the world sleeps,
The only friend I have left, Is one not worth having, (correct), I ask them, “Tell me what to do.” But they don’t have time to, And then I hear them laughing as I weep,
And I try to be selfless, But they take advantage of my rest, And I’m left alone with no value, Because it was me who undervalued, All of myself and all of my own worth,
But now I know better, saw the cracks in the mirror, I thought I was a failure, someone else’s actor, But it turns out they were pulling the string b’hind the curtain, Now I’m stronger, or at least I’ll be, of that I am certain, Because I know now, life isn’t based on money, honour or birth. ANVI TUTEJA
Presenting – the latest in Reputation – Time Doesn’t Only Heal Wounds…
Presenting – Time Causes Wounds I
A childhood friend, who moved away, A golden chain, which fell astray, The Last Hour, which was far too short, The Palm Tree, unnoticed in a hotel resort,
A happy childhood is worth far more, Than all the gold, The dream door, I wonder if I forget, these memories in the making, Am I losing out on these moments I’m living?
The bubbling innocence, that stayed the race, A darling dress, with the buttons out of place, The marked doorjamb, with height – enlist, The training wheels, that sort of disappeared into the mist,
However, it all faded away, they say – you’re older now, But what if I don’t want to forget these, if time allows, They say, Time heals all wounds, but I don’t think that’s the case, Because, otherwise, it’s just a bittersweet never-ending race,
The fish in the bowl, which I fed each day, The old cocktail glasses, whose remains on the floor lay, The antique watches, that stopped their ticking, The neighbourhood dog, who all night kept barking,
These moments I am living, maybe dreams that I’m crushing, Because I miss them, I miss you, in the growing-up rushing, I can’t let these things slip, out of my mind, Because if it’s true, I don’t want to heal the wounds, that remind…
Hello everyone, I realised I haven’t been posting for a while and I truly am sorry. As it turns out, 9th Grade is as hard, if not harder, than all its preconceptions. So, consider this poem as an apology and a reminder that I still exist and I haven’t forgotten my WordPress password (again!)
Presenting – the latest in Reputation – Deal With Death I
Presenting – Deal With Death I
The cards already on the table, The wind blowing in from the gables, You’re holding and I’m folding, Oh, why can’t I have the perfect ending?
I don’t want to play these games, But it doesn’t change the fact I am, all the same, I throw my Kings down, right next to your Ace, It seems you will always be first in the Race,
And you smile and hold out your hand, We’ve done this before, just a routine in this land, The soft clicks of gold and silver and brass, And then you laugh your wicked laugh and all does amass,
And the setting’s changed, not all’s the same now, You’ve got a wicked black crown now, but I’m not going to bow, The wind blows my hair, and I feel like a fairy tale gone wrong, You’re still the villain but I was never the princess of the song,
And the relentless, wretched wind blows your black cloak away, As the curtains unclose, I stifle a scream as I don’t know what to say, It all makes sense now as the pieces slowly fall into place, The voice, The ghosts, The memories, The body and The Broken Mace,
The golden chain, the last hour, and the deal we made, As the horrifying reality makes haste and nestles in, bed unmade, I am a survivor, a cardsharp – but it was no match for the sword-sheath, I was made a fool, but I must reconcile – because I made the deal with death.
Thoughts Caught 