Image Description: A picture of artist and poet Priya DeoMaraj, a woman with long brown wavy hair and thick glasses. She is staring at the camera and sitting on a couch.
Priya DeoMaraj Art
Untitled
Artist Statement: A drawing representing my brain cells, colourful and warped.
Image Description: A drawing of multiple brain cells (depicted with flat, multicoloured circular shapes all jumbled together). The colours include: pink, blue, white, fuchsia, green, yellow and purple.
Priya DeoMaraj Poetry
Unapologetically Broken
Paralyzed
Floating by the strings
Of hope.
Suspended in my eternal shadow
With every momentary beautiful thought.
The uninvited intrudes.
Descending into pieces of my soul.
Trying to grasp onto the hairs
Of my neck.
Twisting and choking
I am not lost.
It is not darkness.
It is not night, day, nor twilight.
I am safe and unsafe.
I am paralyzed.
I’m unapologetically broken.
But moving forward.
The stars have collapsed.
No moon.
She does not smile.
But the sun rises.
And the light is
Swiftly shrouded in darkness.
Broken wings.
Broken
The ocean carries me
Through the divide
Of my scattered demons.
They wait for me.
To falter, to become desolate.
Falling to my knees
With such desperation.
The uninvited takes hold of me.
Imprisoned, for how long.
I dive deep into the bowels of my soul
Searching for a reason.
Why am I found, easily?
I stand broken.
Own it
I am proudly broken.
Walking on glass
Through fire
He, the uninvited
Rains his poison.
No one dares to follow me.
I am alone.
Is it bravery or
Is it familiarity?
My demons are awake.
Jeering at me.
My tormented soul.
Empathy has vacated me.
Emptiness abounds
In this tiny box.
I feel the essence of my spirit
Taking its leave.
I’m not strong enough.
I am afraid.
Hold on…hold on..
Try. Just breathe..
Hope
The windows of my soul
Open wide.
I pick up the pieces
Of my shattered soul.
The uninvited has departed.
Neurons dancing together.
Again, I am above the mountains.
In this twilight sky.
Turned on the switch.
The stars light my way.
The moon,
She smiles at me, cradling me
With her golden rays.
Till next time.
I am here, unapologetically broken.
Artist Statement
I have been writing poetry since I was a teenager but stopped after my last TBIs on February 14 and 17, 2011. I slowly started writing again in 2017. But nothing solid until I wrote this poem in May 2020. I started drawing in 2018 to cope with my injuries.