By Tabish Nawaz
Tabish Nawaz is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science and Engineering Department, IIT Bombay. His poems, short stories and essays have earlier appeared in the Ethos Literary Journal, The Punch Magazine, The Bangalore Review, Kritya, Spark Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, eFiction India, Temper Literary Review, Indian Review, among other places. He has recently published his first short story collection, Opening Clouds, Fermented Rain (Hawakal).
I wrote these poems as part of my daily journal writing during the lockdown. Unable to move out of my room, I made friends with the trees and birds in my backyard, from my window. The poems are an attempt to portray my inner feelings about the outer world during the lockdown.
I write poems in Hindustani under the pen name Shajar which means tree in Urdu. They can be read here.
I really appreciated reading your biography and the fact that you day job and hobby are reflecting and balancing each other. Brilliant writing and thanks for your environmental work
Thank you for reading and appreciation
I love the idea of making friends with the plants and animals right outside your window! Reminds me of the famous verse of Blake’s, “To see a World in a Grain of SandAnd a Heaven in a Wild Flower,Hold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour.”
Thank you for reading and appreciation