Did You Ever Love Me? by Rithvik Singh is a tender contemporary poetry collection about love, heartbreak, longing, self worth and learning to let go. Its greatest strength is emotional accessibility: Singh writes directly to readers who feel intensely and care deeply. The collection offers comfort without pretending heartbreak is simple, though its simplicity may occasionally feel familiar to seasoned poetry readers. Did you Ever Love Me? Have you ever loved someone so completely that, after they left, you were left wondering whether they had ever understood what they had been given? Not merely whether they loved you, but whether they ever noticed how much you loved them, how much patience you offered, how many small things you remembered, or how often you chose to stay when leaving might have been easier. There is a particular loneliness in that question because it rarely arrives at a dramatic moment. More often, it finds you while you are doing something completely ordinary. Yo...
One day, my friend, a doctor informed me about a dengue prevention camp that he was going to conduct. A part of me, wanted to visit, but I couldn't attend because of some reason. Mostly, I wanted to go to support my friend. Why would I need a dengue prevention medicines, I haughtily wondered at that time.
But, in reality I was at a high dengue risk, unknown to anyone. My office was flooded with mosquitoes and a portion of it was flooded by water. Perhaps at the office or some other place, the mosquito attacked me. As a consequence, my platelets spiraled down, as my temperature shot up.
It was a sick time. Down on bed all the time, with nothing to do. Add to it, my heart's misery. Having lost a friend to dengue, exactly a year ago, the time that passed was tough on me. Could I be joining him? Or I am the one, destined to suffer on Earth here? Questions often tormented my mind. I think of it now, and I realize that yes, I was ready to meet the creator. (Or whomsoever you meet, when breath exits your body)
I hate being pinned down. In the hospital, I was all boxed up. I craved for freedom and freedom alone. The fuss created by parents and relatives didn't help at all. The more you visit a hospital, the more you realize, the hell India is, where medical system is worse than Manmohan Singh's governance. But no, it was not a very extraordinary time for me. Just routine, mechanical. Your body got unwell, you get it fixed and proceed to lead the same routine life. As simple as getting that punctured scooter tire fixed.
As destiny would have it, I survived and survived well. All thanks to the gem of friends that I ha ve and my family of course. But the question remains in my head; did I need this survival?
But, in reality I was at a high dengue risk, unknown to anyone. My office was flooded with mosquitoes and a portion of it was flooded by water. Perhaps at the office or some other place, the mosquito attacked me. As a consequence, my platelets spiraled down, as my temperature shot up.
It was a sick time. Down on bed all the time, with nothing to do. Add to it, my heart's misery. Having lost a friend to dengue, exactly a year ago, the time that passed was tough on me. Could I be joining him? Or I am the one, destined to suffer on Earth here? Questions often tormented my mind. I think of it now, and I realize that yes, I was ready to meet the creator. (Or whomsoever you meet, when breath exits your body)
I hate being pinned down. In the hospital, I was all boxed up. I craved for freedom and freedom alone. The fuss created by parents and relatives didn't help at all. The more you visit a hospital, the more you realize, the hell India is, where medical system is worse than Manmohan Singh's governance. But no, it was not a very extraordinary time for me. Just routine, mechanical. Your body got unwell, you get it fixed and proceed to lead the same routine life. As simple as getting that punctured scooter tire fixed.
As destiny would have it, I survived and survived well. All thanks to the gem of friends that I ha ve and my family of course. But the question remains in my head; did I need this survival?
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