insight07's blog

life is a lovely chaos

about

My name is Devika. I like to read books, watch fantastical content, and express my thoughts in any way that I can. Follow along for a reflective read in these rushed times. For I too, try to find some solace in this corner of the internet.

Copyright ©Devika Todi. All rights reserved.

  • Friday Feature #2

    It is thundering outside. I have always believed there’s a good reason each time it does so. More often than not, I link it to my moods.

    Grief. Joy. Anger. Despair. Loss. Loneliness. The shades and sound of thunder change with my emotions.

    It is always the intense thoughts that find no words, but fill me with their strength and tenacity, leaving me confused. Miraculously, there is always thunder to give it sound.

    Today, however, my mind has given me a break. There is no mood at all. It washed away when the plate shattered, and the toast burnt because it was in between heat for a bit too long.

    The tap is still running, and the fridge is open. A cucumber is half sliced. There are tears in the air from the sting of onion. Time is still, but it is moving.

    I am still.

    One and the same with the lizard hanging off the wall, 3.6 feet from me. She stares into my blank eyes, lazily thinking about her future in my home.

    (A home is not just for me. Help.)

    ~insight07

    •
    Copyright ©Devika Todi. All rights reserved.

  • Unending Wind

    What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

    To flow untethered

    Away with the seeds and birds

    Dancing with leaves and

    Clouds from miles above

    Hover at the edge of the world

    See everyone become a point

    A line, a blur.

    I am mobile, yet I wish

    To travel with the unending wind.

    ~insight07

    •
    Copyright ©Devika Todi. All rights reserved.

  • Friday Feature #1

    In a world where destruction seems coded in its very existence, I realise it takes such strength to exist, and even greater strength to grow.


    My little garden and the plants in it inspire me each day. The cyclicity in their seasons, their stubbornness to not give up, a new leaf or an unexpected flower, even on the gloomiest of days.


    These tiny flowers bloom only for a day. Fragile, but full of life. Their straight spines and beautiful thoughts make me pause. Identical, yet so different from the next flower. Each morning, I love collecting them in my palms.


    There is a handful, on the best of the days. But this limited bunch also brings true joy.
    Sometimes I wonder if I can claim any credit in the growth of these wondrous beings. The only thing I do is give them water and fertilise from time to time. Don’t you worry, I talk to them too.


    Sometimes in my language, or in theirs. Mental health is equally important, you see.
    That’s where the fun begins.


    They talk endlessly about the brilliant sun that warms them. The wind that brings news from the ocean and its distant cousins. They love it when they outgrow the allocated space I have for them, and intrude in personal spaces. They often wonder out loud what cuddling would feel like.


    Curious about the heavy engine that cuts clean lines across the sky, they wish to travel. It is a recent evolution- this need to be mobile and see the world. They also wish for sunglasses, or their version of it. The concept of eyes is not interesting to them after all.
    A being of touch, they extend their entire existence towards me in love.


    They have endless gossip to share about the million creatures in their tiny ecosystem. Only if I did not have to go to work, their chatter could last all day.

    This morning, I plucked a flower and tested its strength and durability against the tall buildings in front of my eyes.
    Which one had the greater spine? You tell me.

    ~insight07

    •
    Copyright ©Devika Todi. All rights reserved.

  • Book Recommendations to Spark Your Reading Habit #1

    Hello Toad-ers!

    I remember posting a few months back about my intention to return to reading. Not that I ever left, but the habit had become so slow that it almost felt like cheating each time I called myself an “avid reader.”

    I’m not sure if I still qualify, but the effort is certainly there. While there are still millions of books to read and catch up with, I thought of sharing some of the few books that have caught my eye!

    These are in no particular order, and heavily influenced with my need to digest as many stories as I can.

    1. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
    2. The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Deborah Smith
    3. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
    4. Yo! By Julia Alvarez
    5. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
    6. The Bower Bird by Ann Kelley
    7. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
    8. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, Daisy Rockwell
    9. All the Names by José Saramago, Magaret Jull Costa
    10. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

    These include recent reads and books I read many moons ago.

    I would love to hear your thoughts on any of the above recommendations, if you have read, or plan on reading soon!

    Find me on Goodreads @Devika_Todi

    ~insight07

    Copyright ©Devika Todi. All rights reserved.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started