Decathexis In long-established fasteners of familial zippers, my aloneness leaves me unfurled. We are so easily robbed when we give ourselves to others. Who will want to be a professional boxer if epistaxis is the only reward? When kindness is home, no-one eyes the egress. Peccavi Thuribles of trust coax me to be myself. In the calm of auroral currents, I inhale without worry. In the noise of many truths, I choose my assailants. One’s moral compass is as good as guilt permits it. Whetted by His workbook, outcomes are unwemmed, though our daemon is lame as our lapses. Personalia I negate the truths they tell me about myself, a trick I learned early in game of one-upmanship. Whigmaleeries twist on the dance floor of inclinations, I plié myself out of them, an exercise practitioners of the deadpan imbibe. The closeness of tanzanite beads crumble at the shrine of surmises. Chef-d'oeuvre Raked on coals by an unseen powerhouse it seems I am always in a sedulous cauldron. Chefs of caliber add merit and material to create a masterpiece. When visitants drop by I garnish the viands, with poise and accept the praise.
Editor’s Note: A month before the release of Wrappings in Bespoke, Strokes of Solace(Strokes of Solace, CLASSIX, an imprint of Hawakal, New Delhi, July 2022) was published.
Sanjeev Sethi has authored seven books of poetry. His latest is Wrappings in Bespoke (The Hedgehog Poetry Press, UK, August 2022). He has been published in over thirty countries. His poems have found a home in more than 400 journals, anthologies, and online literary venues. He edited Dreich Planet #1, an anthology for Hybriddreich, Scotland, in December 2022. He is the joint winner of the Full Fat Collection Competition-Deux, organized by Hedgehog Poetry Press, UK. In 2023, he won the First Prize in a Poetry Competition by the prestigious National Defence Academy, Pune. He was recently conferred the 2023 Setu Award for Excellence. He lives in Mumbai, India. X/ Twitter @sanjeevpoems3 || Instagram sanjeevsethipoems