Swetha Amit is an Indian author based in California and a recent MFA graduate at University of San Francisco. She has published works across genres in Atticus Review, Oranges Journal, Toasted Cheese, and others (Swetha Amit). She is a reader for The Masters Review, and a staff writer for Fauxmoir lit mag. Her two stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prize 2022 She is an alumni of Tin House Winter Workshop and the Kenyon Review Writers’ workshop 2022.
Letter to my younger self
Dear young and naïve,
Lost and forlorn/shuffling in your chair/smearing ink/staring at the bird outside/taking off in
flight/ you clamped in your shell/internally livid/striving for acceptance/ writing not science/not
math/ but poetry/fear of being mocked/self-conscious/until that mentor arrived/ you morphed
into a butterfly/out you flew/fulfilling ambitions/his words of wisdom ringing in your ears/when
you write this letter after years/as your mentor, you say/ you transcend barriers / you find another
world/to unleash your imagination/where you find your rhythm/respect for your
creativity/freedom to write limitless haikus and couplets/expressing your vulnerabilities/ your
literary voice/without hesitation or fear/arduous journey/ but worthwhile/today you sit in your
chair/experimenting with structure and form/pages of lyrical verses/evoking emotions in
readers/enriching minds/staring at the books authored by you/your awards and
accolades/embracing a profound meaning to your life/a powerful voice/echoing the sound of
your new found stature.
The Field Guide Poetry Magazine 