Anita Patel

Anita Patel is a Canberra writer. Her two collections of poetry are: Petals Fall (Recent Work Press, 2022) and A Common Garment (Recent Work Press, 2019). Her work also appears in publications such as: Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Mascara Literary Review, Cordite Poetry Review, Plumwood Mountain Journal and Australian Poetry Anthology Vol. 8. Her poetry was published in Australian Book Review’s States of Poetry ACT, 2018.

Rosewater Women

The Hindi word Dalit can be translated as divided, split, broken, scattered… like a handful of rose petals flung into sugared water to flavour gulab jamun soft, delectable, melt in the mouth dumplings… but there is nothing soft or sweet

Sita

Sita – when you followed your blue-skinned lover along tangled forest paths Did he marvel at your fearless laughter filling the darkness with hope? Did his heart lift at the sight of you, his sure-footed wife marching melodically into the wilderness