raman mundair

In your dreams you had wings,
butterfly wings, wet whispers
emerging from a cocoon.
In your nightmares you fell,
wings aflame like the painting
you saw made in memory

of Hiroshima. In my life, you
blazed. The smoke of your wings
brought water to my eyes. 

akka mahadevi

Akka Mahadevi (ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ) was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement of the 12th century Karnataka. Her Vachanas inKannada, a form of didactic poetry, are considered her most notable contribution to Kannada Bhakti literature. In all she wrote about 430 Vachanas which is relatively fewer than that compared to some other saints of her time. Yet the term 'Akka' (elder Sister), which is an honorific given to her by great Veerashaiva saints like Basavanna, Chenna Basavanna, Kinnari Bommayya, Siddharama, Allamaprabhu and Dasimayya, speaks volumes of her contribution to the movement that was underway. She is in hindsight seen as a great and inspirational woman for Kannada literature and the history of Karnataka. She is said to have accepted the god Shiva ('Chenna Mallikarjuna') as her husband, traditionally understood as the 'madhura bhava' or 'madhurya' form of devotion.

Born in Udutadi (or Udugani) near the ancient city of Banavasi (in Shikaripura taluk Shimoga district). She was born in 1130CE and lived until 1160. She worked for the welfare of women.

She is Kannada’s first female poem writer (poetess).

don't despise me

Don't despise me as
She who has no one
I'm not one to be afraid,
Whatever you do.
I exist chewing dry leaves.
My life resting on a knife edge
If you must torment me,
Chennamallikarjuna,
My life, my body
I'll offer you and be cleansed. 

how to live like a dead person

Lately death seems to be all around, not that it had ever stopped being around, but somehow it seems to have gotten more intimate.  In my closet, in my coffee, in my bathroom, in my garden, in my hair, in my cat, in my cuticles.

Post my father’s exit in 1989, a button of unattachment attached itself on me.  This button lacked a control button.  It was like death itself.  Always hovering.  

And when Shivraj died, he killed whatever life i had residing in me.  When i say life i mean the emotion of life of holding on to dear life.   The silly notion of "forever" built with others, with platinum rings, with infinity symbols inked on our hearts.  The silly notion of making “alone” a state of patheticness (yes I know that’s not a word.) But are we really capable of loving anyone beside ourselves? and is that so wrong? Is life only marked by the physical presence of loved ones? 

The idea of going thru the rest of my journey like a dead person seems to be the greatest gift of all.  To see the beauty in living life unattached, unattainable, unavailable; to live life like a dead person and feel the most alive.

O look the leaves have started falling

Yesterday was summer and

Today

Fall

Soon the trees will be bare

I will see you there

wish

my mommy sings
me a lot of songs ..
wish she ..
didn't
my bother tells
me a lot of things ..
wish he ..
wouldn't
my cat purrs
me a lot of complaints ..
wish he ..
couldn't
my daddy left
me a while ago ..
wish he ..
hadn't

so

the great
part

about
memories ....

one
can
forget


them..

black n white images run through my head as 
 colours try to intrude.... 
the empty canvas

 hangs engaged to a red dot....

how to dance to drum n bass

Amnesia was doing good all weak.  She tripped over things, took walks down memory lane, rode into the sunrise, stumbled on building blocks and forgot everything the next day.

Reality continued playing his song, luring her, seducing her.  She liked him. Or thought she did.  But forgot about him the next day.

lone

Swollen face
Goodbye
Swollen belly
Good night
Lone soldier hope
You
Don’t
Die

Raat by Airport

style o wot

a gold star for all the gals who have no idea of who i am and for the ones that do, i'd suggest you spend a little less time in front of the mirror.

my name is sapna bhavnani and i have been working in the fashion / beauty industry for the last 14 years.  and to be honest i find it the shallowest industry of them all.everyday i come across women with low self esteem, after staring at all the skinny models gracing the front covers of every fashion magazine.  i come across many more complaining of their limp, dull, fine hair after watching the false hair advertisements on television.  everyone seems to be in pursuit of outward beauty.  and to many this book might seem like a book promoting just that.

bohemian girl

punk rock girl

librarian girl

the reason i thought of writing this book was to help introduce you to the beautiful world of fantasy and dress up.  i think as a girl growing up partly in india and partly in america, i had the pleasure of growing through all these phases.  i mean it.  from punk rock girl, to librarian girl, to tomboy girl, i went through them all till i got to the best one; "myself."  there is no chapter on "myself" girl in this book because that is a stage we all get to in our own time.  and i hope you get there faster than i did.  i also included a music play list because i think music sets the tone for everything in life.  i believe we all have our personal soundtracks that we groove to in our everyday life and i hope this selection helps you pick yours.

goth girl

please enjoy this book and try to play every character at least once.  for how boring would life be if you went through it entirely just as "goth girl" or "bratty girl."

http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2009/sep/070909-Hairstyle-Makeovers-Goth-Librarian-Sapna-Bhavnani-Syle-o-wat-A-Girls-Guide-to-Looking-Great.htm
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Sup&queryed=4&querypage=3&boxid=31446658&parentid=100519&eddate=09%2F19%2F2009

this book has been written by sapna bhavnani and illustrated by anushka anand