this virus is a raga
a circle that keeps turning
without pause
all around, only pain
each wave
nudges me further down
alone
fighting for breath
i’m going under
in the surf of hell
each morning
i wake with a small hope
tucked somewhere in the chest
and try to drive out
the disease
that has planted itself
hard
inside me
but even the smallest win
ends up
shredded
in the virus’ hands
time walks on
my breath tightens into strength
the body feels
almost upright
but that relief
is not true
only a trick
even when i know
i’m going to slip again
every time
it still surprises me
the tests
are only an approximation
bring up family history
and the room turns quiet
as if our words
might call the result
before it arrives
my tiredness
the sudden fevers
the moments i understand
this isn’t an ordinary illness
turn into tears
turn into the questions
life keeps asking
i inhale
thinking: beyond tomorrow
whatever waits there
i’ll find the strength
to face it
but even our closeness
has filled with pain
what we’ve already lost
stands between us
like a thing left on the bed
you can’t stop seeing
afraid to hope
unable to live without it
we held on
to each other
and if i imagine saying goodbye
to this illness
then look out
at the world
it scares me
how quickly
we slid
towards hell
that’s when it lands
this painful poem
this circle we keep walking
wasn’t made
by the virus
it was us
Manasa Reddy Chichili is a poet from Telangana whose work celebrates the subtle interplay of language, emotion, and nature. Her poetic journey spans a wide range of forms from delicate haiku to expressive tankas and her works have been featured in several distinguished journals and online platforms such as Under the Basho, The Heron’s Nest, Haiku Universe, and Mainichi Haiku, among others.
A true lover of languages, Manasa writes poetry in English, Japanese, Telugu, Hindi, and Romanian, reflecting her deep appreciation for diverse linguistic and cultural nuances. Through her poetry, she continues to explore the universality of human emotion and the quiet beauty of everyday moments.