Anti-Vitae

A list poem written after Chelsey Minnis

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

1994

• Didn’t even whimper. They had to smack my ass thrice to make me cry

1995

• Became the butt of all the slim-shaming jokes by the neighborhood aunties

1997

• Became the reason for a hand fan’s death. It met my thigh and then broke into two because I didn’t listen to my mom’s warnings

1999

• Termed a thief for taking my crush’s English notebook and hiding it inside my bag

2001

• Kicked out of a dance performance for revealing our song to the other group

2002

• Missed initiating a friendship with him when I had the knack of becoming friends with other boys

2003

• Rammed my bicycle into a stranger’s bike and bruised my elbows

2004

• Forgot to tell my best friend how much he meant to me
• Forgot the lyrics to a Carnatic song I was singing on the stage
• Failed to get admission to ‘the best school’ in our locality

2005

• Crushed on a jackass who’d later ruin me