Dr Shailja’s poem talks of imperfect chapatis created with care. These symbolise beauty, endurance, and love’s strength—an exclusive for Different Truths. 

I have made chapatis for you:
They are not round
They are elliptical
They are not smooth
They are irregular
They get thick on the margins 
Some are slightly burned
Or raw in the middle
They are made by naive hands
Hands that are guided by a soul
Just like these chapatis: 
Uneven. Unfinished. Burnt. Raw.
But they are made with:
Love. Toil. Time. Poise.
Can our love survive with imperfections of:
Chapatis. Body. Soul. And such?
Can it?

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Dr. Shailja Sharma

Dr Shailja Sharma, a US mental health provider and multilingual author, has published widely in various literary journals and anthologies, in many literary journals/forums of repute across USA, Canada, UK, and Asia. Her book, “Dear Mama: An Immigrant’s Secret Cry,” by Setu, Pittsburgh, has been critically acclaimed and she was awarded a special literary honor for her contributions in international languages. Sharma’s work has been published nationally and internationally.