Patterns--By Shloka Shankar--India

Patterns

Acknowledge them.
The ones that criss-cross,
others that have a distinct scent
like ripe oranges in a fruit basket,
some in muted sepia tones,
and the irrational one that lines your innards. 
Wrench them out with tweezers,
or something more handy.
Brush them under the carpet for a few days
and allow them to haunt you.
Stare at them till your eyes start watering
like repressed memories surfacing in a dark room.
Divide them into compartments
and straight-jacket your feelings
by drawing up a spreadsheet.
Award yourself points after this exercise.
If need be, take a deep breath,
rinse, and repeat.

Shloka Shankar is a freelance writer from Bangalore, India. She loves experimenting with all forms of the written word, and has found her niche in Japanese short-forms such as haiku, tanka, and haibun, as well as found/remixed poetry. She is also the founding editor of the literary & arts journal, Sonic Boom. You can read more of her work here.