By: Rati Agnihotri

Write on me in ink
the deep blue language of moon famed silt
and then print on me in ink
those defamed chunks of moon mad memoirs .

Look at me in ink
The deep red ink of skeleton flames
And then look away in ink
The cool, pale blue of retreating skylines…

Dream of me in ink
The murky ink of a caveman’s deceit
And then breathe me in in ink
The scarred rushes of a toxic rainbow.

Meet me in ink
The white washed ink of sand like corridors
And then chew away in ink
The leftover bits of tonsils of my presence.

Fix me in ink
The treacherous ink of public spaces
The preachy ink of masquerades of decency
The bubbling ink of 1^st class hypocrisy
The hi fi ink of academic jargon
The polite ink of venomous discourses pretending to be unbiased, neutral, venom free,
The toxic ink of fables constructed by society to give a communal blow job to one another’s egos
The banal ink of day to day audio visual rituals…..

The public ink
Of language
Of understanding
Of total comprehension….

****

[Rati Agnihotri currently works as a TV Script Writer and Reporter for CNC World TV, Xinhua Media Group China. She is based at their New Delhi office.  
Rati has also worked as a radio and online journalist for the south Asian service of Deutsche Welle in Bonn, Germany.

Ms Agnihotri completed her MA International Journalism from University of Leeds, U.K. in December 2007 and BA Hons English Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University in 2006.

Rati writes poetry in both Hindi and English.  Her English poems have been published in journals like Indian Literature, South Asian Ensemble, The Challenge,  Muse India, Kritya, Cerebration, Nether and Misty Mountain Review.  Her Hindi poem ‘Teesri Duniya’ was recently published in the ‘Yuva Visheshaank’ of Samvadiya magazine. Ms Agnihotri also runs a poetry group, ‘Moonweavers – Chaand ke Julaahe’ in Delhi. The group organizes poetry open mics, informal poetic discourse sessions, brainstorming sessions on poetry, etc. ]