Born in the silence and uncertainty of the COVID-19 lockdown, this unique collection of poems and prose is an intimate journey through emotions, memories, fears, hopes and reflections on life. Written between 2020 and 2022 and beyond, the poems move effortlessly between Hindi and English, playing with words, rhythms and thoughts to create expressions that are deeply personal yet universally relatable.
Each piece carries a story—a memory, a life situation, an anecdote, a moment of pain, or a spark of hope. At times thoughtful, at times playful, and often profound, the collection explores the many debts that life asks us to repay—sometimes through tears and sometimes through laughter.
More than a collection of poems, this book is a window into a mind finding its voice when the world had fallen silent.
A finance professional by vocation and a poet by instinct, Punam works with the World Health Organization in the areas of finance, budgeting, Planning, monitoring and evaluation. With roots in commerce and a journey spanning the private sector and international NGOs, she brings both precision and passion to everything she does. During the stillness of the COVID-19 lockdown, she found her voice in poetry-transforming uncertainty into reflection, and solitude into expression. This collection is born from that time: quiet, honest, and deeply human.