Queer Post Card from:
Ansh Deep Singh, Patiala, India
The Street Not Taken
We got dust on our novels;
but brand new smartphones;
no wonder why we feel this way.
We allowed our chores to be changed;
our goals to be tamed;
no wonder why we feel this way.
We pretended to be winsome;
but adjudicate through crimson;
no wonder why we feel this way.
Streets paved the path;
weaving the tapestry of the aftermath;
Calcutta realizing India;
and Patiala realizing Punjab.
- Jade, Back in 1800s
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Description
“The Street Not Taken” is a reflective poem that contrasts modern distractions with forgotten depth. It explores how we carry dust on our novels but shine in our smartphones, showing the irony of neglecting meaningful pursuits for fleeting trends. The verses speak about how our chores, goals, and even values get reshaped by external pressures, leaving us feeling hollow.
Through vivid imagery, it highlights the tension between pretending happiness and living in a world tinted by judgement and compromise. The poem ends with a powerful cultural grounding — connecting streets, aftermath, and identity, where Calcutta symbolizes the essence of India, and Patiala symbolizes Punjab, reminding us of the deeper roots often overshadowed by modernity.