Monika’s poem depicts a city transformed into a surreal landscape dominated by technology, where humans crave connection but become increasingly isolated, exclusively for Different Truths.

The city, a phantasmagoria of steel and glass,
glitters under a manufactured sky.  
Stars are distant memories, 
replaced by the harsh glare 
of a thousand flickering screens. 
We navigate this concrete labyrinth, 
faces illuminated by the cold glow 
of our devices, lost in an artificial world.

The moon, a spectral echo 
in the polluted atmosphere, casts 
a wan light on our solitary pursuits. 
We crave connection, yet distance
ourselves with every keystroke.  
Are we ghosts haunting this
machine-made dreamscape, 
Or are the machines slowly becoming us?

Glossary

1. Phantasmagoria can refer to two things:

-A constantly shifting illusion or series of illusions. It can be used to describe a dreamlike state, a chaotic scene, or a bizarre or fantastical display.

a type of entertainment popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. These shows used magic lanterns and other special effects to project ghostly images and other unsettling scenes onto screens or smoke.

2. Wan light: It refers to light that is faint, weak, or pale. It often has a sickly or yellowish cast to it, and it doesn’t provide much illumination. The term is often used to describe moonlight or the light of a dying star. 

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Monika Ajay Kaul

Born in the breathtakingly beautiful vale of Kashmir, Monika had her schooling there. A postgraduate in Business Management, an academician by profession, she is an art history enthusiast, writes poetry, short stories and paints. An avid reader, mostly biographies and autobiographies. Giving wings to her imagination through beautiful colours and words, she sings and has a following on YouTube.

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