The September 2017 issue of Spark celebrates variety – in ideas, in writing styles, through an exciting collection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and photography. Dear Reader, we are pleased to present this selection under the title “Kaleidoscope” – the coming together of diverse creative ideas. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did in putting it together!
Small memories. Small memories of small things… In a story that captures the journey of a grandmother and her granddaughter, Vidhya Kripashankar invites you to discover how it is often the smallest things that have the biggest impact.
All things great and small have a place in this world. A childhood story of arriving at this realization by Chandramohan Nair.
Priya Anand writes about Leh and Ladakh following her visit to the region for a trek. Spellbound from the time she landed in Leh, Priya’s poem highlights the region’s stark beauty, its unique culture and the people who inhabit it and how all of these provide a one-of-a-kind experience that is cerebral, sensual and spiritual.
Mohankumar’s story traces the emotional roller-coaster that a man puts himself through when he spots a small lump in his left breast.
Purabi Bhattacharya picks three photographs that she has clicked and gives them a kaleidoscopic touch, resulting in some interesting abstract formations.
Bakul Banerjee’s poem is inspired by insightful marriage hymns from Samaveda written by ancient sages in India.
Caught in a devious exchange between two political powers, a man finds himself uprooted from his homeland. Story by Malcolm Carvalho.
Balu George writes two poems, one that muses on suffering and the other that recalls an incident that he experienced as a school boy.