To India At The 2016 Summer Olympics

Girl starts / light-speed footsteps / girl meets
infinity
Girl starts / fingers reaching out / touches
for a moment
Girl runs / arms reach wide / girl holds
the universe

Girl leaps
and forgets to land

Girl stares / into a billion eyes / girl braces
immovable
Girl reaches / holding on tight / girl falls,
gets up again
Girl breaks / pieces herself together / girl breathes,
stands again

Girl looks at world
and pushes it down

Girl walks / a country length / girl walks
all over again
Girl reaches out / makes challenge for challenge / girl holds
continues to fight
Girl fails / succeeds / girl teaches a billion
meanings of fight

Girl climbs
and refuses to stop

Girl sees destruction / dances on top
Girl sees quiet / screams her lungs out
Girl sees hatred / closes her eyes / learns to ignore

Girl fights country
wins
Girl fights for country
wins

By Rishika Aggarwal

Biography:

Rishika Aggarwal is a 22 year old poet from India, currently studying for her master’s degree in English Literature. She’s been reading for as long as she can remember, and dreaming of being a writer for about as long. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in The Rising Phoenix Review, Vagabond City Literary Journal, Pankhearst’s Deranged, and Sapphic Swan. You’ll be able to find her (and more of her work) at rishwrites.tumblr.com. Her new chapbook is #FDD017 (Golden), and you can find it here (https://gumroad.com/l/oQWA).