Our corona diary.

[Text and photo by Anusha Dhawan]

I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona… and I see myself,
drawing and lying uncomfortably in a one person bed,
I feel the press of the full moons of my sole on my restitched ankle ,
I see the hollow of my back as a cup, full of the flesh of an imaginary palm (no person),
I know it will never be someone so dear,
While I am at it, the side of my toe tries to fit into the nape of the other one
this time accompanied with a slight itch
I pause
the wet of my underarm being cooled
(there are two or more of us
one is the limb that has learnt to survive
and the other is the one I find hanging loosely in bed)
looping and warping images I have always known would remain unrequited
but the phantom kept weaving untill now,
now – that there is this lump in my throat
now – I question whether your full and my hollow are both rendered irrelevant?

“We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona… and I see…” Not more than 100 words. With a horizontal-sized selfie, along with your city name… please mail to me at mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com.