issue 7
// poetry
Verdict
by Vidushi Rijuta
In April 2023, the Supreme Court of India heard arguments for legalizing same-sex marriage in India.
The mehendi that she drew on my hand is fading, meanwhile
a man in a big room says several windows are open already,
now they are trying to open the door too, meanwhile
I eat lunch with a friend (since we're both alive today), meanwhile
a man in a big room says heterosexual union is responsible for
the perpetuation of the human race, meanwhile
we wait so eagerly for our pizza, for Friday, meanwhile
a man in a big room says are they absolutely equal? meanwhile
we take a shot each time they drive a dagger into who we are, meanwhile
a man in a big room says biological, union, biological, union, meanwhile
I text her, she tells me about her thesis, meanwhile
the men talk and twist this whole country's fate, meanwhile
we are in the safest room we've ever been in,
watching big men in other big rooms.
about the author // Vidushi Rijuta
| Vidushi Rijuta (she/her) is a psychotherapist who believes community is the answer to almost everything. She loves writing about love (so naturally, about things like queerness, joy, social justice, friendship, and grief). She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by SWWIM in December 2025. Her poems have previously been published in Stone of Madness Press, SWWIM, Gulmohur Quarterly, Ink Sweat & Tears, and Fruit. |
Instagram: @vpoemstorage
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