Saadi jithe laggi aai / let me be
A Sufi-inspired Gurdas Mann song about seeking the divine across all faiths while staying devoted to one’s beloved despite others' judgment.
Iqbal on Guru Nanak
A discussion of poet Iqbal’s verses honoring Guru Nanak as the spiritual figure who awakened India from its slumber, likened to Prophet Abraham.
ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਆਉਂਦੇ ਬੱਚੇ/ The children who come to learn from me
A poem by Gurpreet Mansa about a rural Punjab teacher’s mix of affection and frustration toward his poor, mischievous, dreaming students.
ਕਲਾਮ ਨੂੰ/ to the poem
A poem addressing poetry itself, questioning what it means to be human amid hypocritical idol worship and fleeting devotion.
ਫਿਰ ਆਈ ਹੈ/Again, She has Come
A Kartar Singh Duggal poem comparing a worn, repeatedly rejected bureaucratic file to a weary, disgraced woman.
ਬੁਰਕੀ / bait
A poem on how the powerful use flattery and small favors, rather than force, to tame their enemies, and on resisting being bought.
ਆਪਣੀ ਅਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤਾ ‘ਚੋਂ / अपनी असुरक्षा से / Lines to Our Own Insecurity
A Paash poem arguing that the state’s version of national security and peace, built on conformity and suppression, is itself a threat to the people.
ਭਾਰੇ ਭਾਰੇ ਬਸਤੇ / are we standing still ?
A Surjeet Patar poem criticizing the burdensome, rote-learning-heavy Indian school system through children’s complaints about heavy bags and blind recitation.
ਇੱਕ ਕਾਲੀ ਔਰਤ / The Black Woman
A poem by Nirupma Dutt about a dark-skinned woman’s pain and longing shaped by societal prejudice against her skin color.
ਅਸਮਾਨ ਤੇ ਧੁੱਪ / the sky and sunshine
A poem in dialogue between the sky and sunshine about the longing of separation and the joy of reunion.