The morning air felt still
As if it carries the weight
Of another magenta night
Men crossing borders restless
Leaving behind the city lights
And little packets of memories
Strewn across echoing hallways
Holding scraps close to the chest
Passports, IDs, cards, and such
For what else are we but barcodes
In this unruly, ravaged world!
When you don’t feel belonged, you are isolated, lonely, and then the voices in the head become larger than life, and the fine line between the real and the perceived diminishes.
The short story is a strong but difficult medium. In many ways it is more potent than a novel because it can leave an impact with few words, consuming little time. An observant writer can concoct many stories using everyday themes and images, telling extraordinary tales about ordinary people, evoking emotions and reactions from a diverse readership. In the preface to The Goat Thief, prolific Tamil short story writer, Perumal Murugan, talks about his own tryst with the skill of story writing and how he came to evolve his own style and rendition.
Blue Pen Strokes 