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poetry written by students of Rishi Valley School under the mentorship of
Gieve Patel, who conducted poetry workshops there over a decade. 

A number of noted artists, including Atul Dodiya, Nilima Sheikh and others
have illustrated some of the poems. 

I only wish Patel had included the ages of his interlocutors.  They range
from 12 to 18 (p. xxviii).  Some of the later poems, dealing with
childbirth and love, are possibly the older ones.  Many of the poets grew
through workshops across different years.  Nonetheless, the reader would
have been well served to know the ages at which different poems were
written, even if this was available for only a subset.

 
Patel at the book launch. 
image from The Hindu

Excerpts

Just two poems on dad!? What could that mean?  Is the Indian father, in the
21st c., such an unapproachable being? - Intro, p.xxviii

Vigyan : The smiling doll p.4

My boat skimmed over the stagnant waters
Of the ill-fated village. 
I came to a hut,
And drifted past the shattered door 
A doll came into view. 

As I looked upon the smiling face
I realized 
That this piece of plastic
Was the only smile
The open-roofed room
Would see
For a long time. 

Varun J. : Exams

I want to fly in a plane
I want to stand on a mountain
I want to swim in the sea
I want to be as far from this
Place as can be.  

Shivkumar Ganesh: Through the binocular p.41

The giant tree
Stands against the sky,
A thousand green flags
Fluttering. 

All is still. 
A momentary flicker
Of yellow and black, and
The lora has flown away. 

Aanchal Bharati : Teacher p.47

I have a teacher
with serrated features. 
She talks a lot; there's hypocrisy
Even in her walk

Mohnish Sen: Sleep p.49

Sleep, 
It swallows you whole,
And doesn't let go
Until you fight it
And wriggle out of its grasp. 

Sleep,
A blanket of comfort
between you and the world. 

Bilawal Singh Suri : Unemployment p.53

I go walking looking for a job
but I've been walking so long,
looks at last, dear reader,
That walking is now my job.