a stroke, a line, a dot, a splash–
art appears when the world fails,
to capture, to see, to know, to say.
sometimes it’s a good day to paint the world a soft pink
sometimes a purple to make the sky, the heavens know the rage.
sometimes it’s a long wait, between the colours and the canvas,
between two unscheduled trains, between two showers of rain,
how a drop glides away from an ocean wave
returns home to save another day…
what does art really save?
than knocking open human lives
to bare what language tends to hide
to burn the borders of body-mind
to tell the truth and a thousand lies
to cut through bullshit
to raise a tide.
to snuggle between a napkin-canvas
and my lover’s smile.
to sit quietly to admire
neat strokes and clean lines.
what does art really save? other than you and I.
This poem has been written for the seven community artists who are putting out their artwork to raise funds for Youth Alliance’s Art fundraiser. These artists are community leaders/storytellers/designers who have also been part of Youth Alliance’s various leadership programmes. It is a generous ‘pay-it-forward’ gesture from them. Here is a link to a virtual exhibition.
Rachit Sharma works in the social sector, he designs and facilitates leadership programs for young people. He is currently based in Meerut.
Featured image: ‘A conversation’ by Gaurav Srinivas