1.Earth

Plant yourself, insignificant seed,

on terrifying new expanses.

Water yourself with the sweat of the earth.

Take.

Return.

Scatter your guilt and regret away,

they’ll only hinder your growth,

planting themselves within you so deep that when extracted,

you’ll find

a mess of tearing veins.

Cast toxicity away,

breathe.

Take root, firmly.

Assert yourself.

Nobody ought to take your space away from you, love.

Bloom.

2. Water.

Flow,

mercy in your movements,

for,

you’re life itself.

Remember

to be kind,

your slightest waves

are quakes

in the structures of the lost.

Erase

carefully,

compassionately.

Erase

the blood

on the weeping earth.

Don’t erase

the names of lovers,

little heartbeats strung together

by hope and promise,

pulses hoping for a shared future,dancing strings of yarn

that might never

breathe together

as fabric.

Remember to rejoice,

celebrate yourself,

dance.

3. Air.

Be.

Just be.

It’s okay to rest,

it’s okay to remain.

You don’t have to dance,

jump,

weave indecipherable patterns.

The absence of movement

isn’t the absence of life itself.

Besides,

infusing yourself

is meditation too.

4. Sky.

Gaze

upon those in need of benevolence.

Gaze

kindly, lightly.

Remember

to be lighter,

Atlas has fears running

through his veins too.

Remember,

the earth looks up to you.

Waiting.

Pining.

Wanting.

Remember to

be kind,

your tears seep into her

overflowing bruises too.

Remember,

that she wouldn’t want it any other way.

5. Fire.

Warm yourself,

breathe hope into your embers.

Listen to your cackles,

remember they aren’t your identity.

Identify

the rage in your pulse.

Determine good from bad,

remember that they co-exist now,

dream of a world

with the exclusive existence of good.

Remember to not fear grey,

color yourself red.

Sharp, fluid,glowing.

Angry, raging,alive.

Align

yourself with the universe.

Snuggle against those

with damp smiles,

spread across their features,

their warmth will nestle with you too.

Rage,

let your anger

spread through you,

exorcising your demons.

The bruises will fade away,

your doodles will spread themselves on your skin,

you will find that the webs you built to hide yourself away

can sustain you too.

By Shreenidhi Rajagopalan

About Shreenidhi:

Shreenidhi is a 16 year old poet and feminist. Her work has been published in the editorial of The Hindu,and is going to be, in an anthology about conflict in India,and several literary magazines. She edits her school magazine.

Artwork by Chi Leong