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Spark – December 2015 Issue

With the year wrapping up, let’s take a few moments to step back and reflect on the times gone by. Spark’s December 2015 issue is themed ‘Nostalgia’, and our poetry, fiction and non-fiction will take you to times past, to dig into your own memories and celebrate, laugh and long for them, or be thankful you crossed that particularly difficult phase.

Reminiscences

Many a time, we travel alone both metaphorically and otherwise, and whenever we do that, we tend to ruminate over the quality time spent with our loved ones. M.V.L.Narasamamba writes a poem about how we try to fill the gaps that are within and next to us.

Bangalore

Bangalore, to Shruthi Rao, is an individual in her own right. She’s known her for decades and loves her even now as much as she did then, in spite of what Bangalore has now become. This passage is an attempt to understand why.

The Telegram

It was July 2013. The Telegram service in India had been closed down. Rajagopalan was transported back to the summer of 1955, when he had sent a telegram from Jabalpur to Thanjavur. Raghu Sarangarajan tells the story, based on true incidents, of the telegram’s message and the aftermath.

The 7 to 9 Funk

‘The 7 to 9 Funk’ is Sneha Sundaram’s nostalgic ode to first loves, Mumbai monsoons, Shah Rukh Khan and reminiscing about dancing in the rain.

My Baby Darling

A mother misses her baby girl, now an angst-ridden teenager. Sudha Nair tells the story.

Love Endures

Parth Pandya traces the journey of a relationship in a poem that weaves together memories and the present.

Plotting the Present with Nostalgia

Every older generation has so much to share about our past; so many stories that tell us who we are. Deepa Venkatraghvan was fortunate to have been able to speak with her maternal grandfather about his life and also document his nostalgia. Although she regrets not having done that on her paternal side, she believes all is not lost yet.

We are Allergic to Cut Onions

What makes us all teary-eyed when we grow nostalgic of the days that were? Nandagopal attempts to find an answer through a poem which stresses that in the end, nostalgia is all about our dire attempts to make peace with Father Time himself.