USC junior’s poem published in national magazineAn Upper St. Clair High School junior can now add published author to her list of accomplishments. Mahima Reddy’s poem, titled “Monsoon Season,” was published in the May 2016 issue of
Teen Ink magazine.
Monsoon Season
The faucet mourned you,
so I collected the tears
in a Kissan pineapple jam bottle,
the second one I bring as I rickshaw
past rows of shoddy bangle stands
and fluorescent-lit sweet shops –
Under stray arrays of chilly rain,
an army of goosebumps
assemble on my exposed arm –
I watch braided women in
chiffon, mango-printed dupattas,
the same you used to build table tents –
Emaciated peddlers shuffle knockoff
silk saris into frayed burlap sacks,
the same you used to toss wrinkled guavas –
From the third branch of your favorite tree
hangs a bent garland of ghost white
jasmine blocking my view of you,
while distant relatives stare like stalking tigers,
eyes reflecting the flames of the pyre and
engulfing my dry, unveiled face –
Potbellied uncles dig a swimming pool with spades
for your unmounted headstone where I’ll
spill all of these Ruchi lime pickle jars.
Although this marks the first time Mahima’s work has been published in the print magazine, her original works have been included on Teen Ink’s website. Her previous writings including a
book review of “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford and a science fiction short story titled,
“Evolving a Competition.”According to its website, Teen Ink is “a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos and forums. For over 25 years, Teen Ink has offered teens the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on issues that affect their lives – everything from love and family to school, current events, and self-esteem.”
USC junior’s poem published in national magazine