ISSUE-4

I S S U E - 4

ELEVATE

S T A R G A Z E T T E M A G A Z I N E

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FROM US TO YOU...

Dear reader,

Art is a form of expression. That's what

I've been told for the longest time. An

outlet, where we can be at our most

vulnerable, isn't that how the best pieces

are created?

And in such times, we need to be able to

bring down our walls, to let others in.

And as artists, we do it with words, a

camera, or a paint set. Our final

masterpiece is nothing but a physical

depiction of our feelings.

The submissions we received this edition

are truly enlightening, poetry, prose,

photography and so much more. We

hope you enjoy reading them, and we

hope you learn something new about

yourself.

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back when you were opposing, I somehow let that slide. With sound waves and

Sometimes

daggers you wounded the confidence and attacked the mental peace of an

verbal

brutally. Ruthlessly. Also in some case, unknowingly. Now that I am finally

inexperienced

myself, which I should have done from the start, let me now correct your

accepting

misconceptions.

who said that there is nothing called bisexuality, I am a bisexual. This means I am sexually

Those

to my gender and also to the opposite gender. So as I exist, so is bisexuality. The nonheterosexuals

attracted

are not just the gay, lesbian and transgender. This family also includes bisexual,

asexual and many more. Those who have said that it is just a phase, me being myself

pansexual,

never be a phase. This is who I am and this is who I am going to remain the rest of my life. I

can

want to make it clear that it hurts being questioned about your identity or calling your

just

a phase.

identity

just want to make this clear that I am a bisexual and I am proud of it and it would be much

I

if you too accept it whole heartedly. There are people out there who have a

appreciated

A dream when straight would only be a direction and non-heterosexual would not even

dream.

word to describe a human anymore. When looking at each other we would see a human, not a

a

When love would just be love without any tag.

label.

love With

From

human A

E D I T O R ' S N O T E S

MY IDENTITY ISN'T A

SMRUTI MAHAPATRA

PHASE

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LOVE IS LOVE

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are stronger than you could ever

You

imagine

your heart is the strength

Inside

move entire worlds aside with the flick

To

a wrist of

possess power unknown

You

those who tear you down; do not listen

To

to

cries of insecurity and

Their

misunderstanding

you are a warrior, a fighter,

For

soldier of your own fortune -

A

up those boots, baby;

Lace

the padlocked fence and ascend

Climb

mountain may be rocky and

The

treacherous

you are in your own safe hands

But

those crags and edges;

Navigate

out safe holds - trust the feet that

Pick

have

led you where you need to go

Always

yourself with sunshine

Nourish

with yourself in silence at the top of

Eat

world the

authentically

Exist

never And

Ever

Apologise

E B E C C A K E N N Y I S A P O E T

R

N D T E A C H E R F R O M

A

I V E R P O O L . S H E W R I T E S

L

B O U T L I F E , L O V E A N D

A

N Y T H I N G E L S E T H A T

A

A K E S H E R F E E L

M

O M E T H I N G . Y O U C A N F I N D

S

E R O N I G

H

F E A T U R E S T O R Y

NEVER APOLOGISE

REBECCA KENNY

THE POET

For who you are

@ R E B E C C A K E N N Y W R I T E S

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U N A P O L O G E T I C A L L Y

~ V I D H I S A H A Y

T h e m a r r i e d c o u p l e s a t b y t h e t a b l e , r e m i n i s c i n g h o w

t h e y ’ d m e t . T h e y w e r e b o t h a r o u n d s e v e n t h e f i r s t t i m e

t h e y ’ d m e t , t h e y ’ d m a d e a c q u a i n t a n c e a t t h e b i r t h d a y

p a r t y o f a m u t u a l f r i e n d . B o t h c a r e f r e e , b o t h p a i n f u l l y

i n n o c e n t a n d u n a w a r e o f w h a t l i f e h a d i n s t o r e f o r

t h e m . T h e y s p e n t a l m o s t e v e r y b r e a t h i n g m o m e n t a t

e a c h o t h e r ’ s h o u s e o v e r t h a t s u m m e r a n d w e r e

b a s i c a l l y j o i n e d a t t h e h i p . I t w a s b a c k i n h i g h s c h o o l

w h e n I r a r e a l i z e d t h a t w h a t s h e f e l t f o r h e r f r i e n d w e n t

b e y o n d m e r e p l a t o n i c f e e l i n g s . S h e d i d n ’ t a d m i t i t o u t

l o u d , b e c a u s e s h e w a s a f r a i d t h a t w o u l d m a k e i t m o r e

r e a l . A t l e a s t t h i s w a y , s h e c o u l d k e e p h e r s k e l e t o n s i n

t h e c l o s e t a n d p r e t e n d t h a t e v e r y t h i n g w a s f i n e . S h e ’ d

t h o u g h t t h a t s h e w a s d o i n g a g o o d j o b a t h i d i n g w h a t

s h e ’ d f e l t a n d s h e p r o b a b l y h a d b e e n , t o b e h o n e s t , b u t

a l l t h a t w e n t d o w n t h e d r a i n w h e n h e r f a t h e r r e a d h e r

d a i r y . A c l e a r i n v a s i o n o f h e r p r i v a c y a n d s h e ’ d w a n t e d

t o s c r e a m a t h i m , t o a s k h i m h o w h e c o u l d ’ v e d o n e t h a t

t o h e r b u t s h e w a s j u s t f i f t e e n a n d c o u l d n ’ t p o s s i b l y

k n o w w h a t g o o d p a r e n t i n g w a s , r i g h t ?

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W r o n g , s o i n c r e d i b l y w r o n g . I t w a s i n f u r i a t i n g a n d

e m b a r r a s s i n g f o r h e r t o h a v e b e e n o u t e d l i k e t h a t .

S h e ’ d n e v e r f e l t m o r e a l o n e a n d e m b a r r a s s e d o f w h o

s h e w a s . S h e ’ d w o n d e r t h a t i f h e r o w n f a m i l y c o u l d n ’ t

a c c e p t h e r , w h y w o u l d a n y o n e e l s e ? T h e g u i l t o f n o t

b e i n g a g o o d e n o u g h

d a u g h t e r w a s e a t i n g h e r u p , a n d s o s h e t r i e d h e r b e s t

t o c h a n g e , t o b e a p e r f e c t c h i l d t h a t h e r d a d w o u l d b e

p r o u d o f . N o m a t t e r h o w m a n y t i m e s s h e t r i e d , s h e

c o u l d n ’ t s c r u b o f f t h e f e e l i n g o f d i s g u s t a n d

u n g r a t e f u l n e s s f r o m h e r b o d y , a n d t h a t i n i t s e l f , w a s

h o r r i f y i n g t o l i v e w i t h . S l o w l y , i t s e e m e d a s i f t h e w o r l d

h a d s l i p p e d i n t o a s t a t e o f b l a c k a n d w h i t e . E v e r y t h i n g

f e l t s o m o n o t o n o u s a n d d u l l . S h e f e l t a s t h o u g h s h e ’ d

b e e n t r a p p e d i n a b o x , a b o x t h a t w a s s h r i n k i n g b y t h e

m i n u t e a n d s h e c o u l d n ’ t d o a n y t h i n g t o s t o p i t , b u t

w h a t w a s m o r e s c a r y w a s t h a t s h e h a d

n o s t r e n g t h t o d o s o e v e n i f s h e w a n t e d t o . S o w h e n

h e r f r i e n d s a t h e r d o w n f o r a t a l k , I r a b r o k e d o w n

s o b b i n g , t h e t e a r s w o u l d n ’ t s t o p a n d s h e ’ d n e v e r f e l t

b e t t e r . T h a t n i g h t , h e r f r i e n d d i d n ’ t a s k h e r a n y t h i n g ,

j u s t h e l d h e r i n s i l e n c e t i l l I r a s t o p p e d c r y i n g a n d

e v e n t u a l l y w e n t t o s l e e p .

T h e n c a m e c o l l e g e , w h i c h o p e n e d a w h o l e o t h e r d o o r

f o r h e r . I t h a d b e e n a r o u g h y e a r a n d s h e d e c i d e d t h a t

m o v i n g o u t w a s t h e o n l y t h i n g s h e w a s c a p a b l e o f d o i n g

f o r h e r s e l f t h e n . I t t o o k h e r a w h i l e t o r e a l i z e t h a t

t h e r e w e r e p e o p l e s h e c o u l d r e a c h o u t t o , f o u n d a t i o n s

t h a t c o u l d s u p p o r t

h e r c o l l e g e e d u c a t i o n i f s h e r e a c h e d o u t t o t h e m . S o

s h e d i d , a n d m a y b e t h a t w a s t h e t u r n i n g p o i n t , w h e n

s h e r e a l i z e d t h a t s h e w a s a l l o w e d t o d o t h i n g s f o r

h e r s e l f , t h a t s h e w a s a l l o w e d t o b e s e l f i s h a n d t h a t i f i t

w e r e m e a n t t o b e , i t w o u l d b e . I t w a s n ’ t e a s y , o f c o u r s e ,

i t w a s p r o b a b l y t h e h a r d e s t t h i n g

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s h e ’ d d o n e , b u t s h e w a s p r o u d o f h e r s e l f f o r d o i n g i t .

S h e r e a l i z e d t h a t s h e c o u l d n o w , l o o k h e r s e l f i n t h e e y e

a n d s h e w a s h a p p i e r t h a n e v e r . M a y b e s h e d i d n ’ t f e e l

o n t o p o f t h e w o r l d , b u t s h e f e l t b e t t e r t h a n s h e h a d i n

y e a r s . T h a t ’ s w h y , w h e n w i t h g i d d y s t e p s a n d a

t r e m b l i n g v o i c e , s h e c o n f e s s e d t o h e r f r i e n d , I r a w a s

p r o b a b l y m o r e s u r p r i s e d t h a n s h e w a s .

M a y b e e v e n m o r e s u r p r i s e d t h a n w h e n h e r f r i e n d g o t

o n h e r t i p t o e s a n d k i s s e d I r a o n t h e l i p s . .

V I D H I S A H A Y ( S H E / H E R ) I S A S E V E N T E E N Y E A R O L D

F R O M J H A R K H A N D . T H I S W A S O N E O F T H E F I R S T

P I E C E S S H E ' S E V E R W R I T T E N A N D S H E ' S D E E P L Y

A T T A C H E D T O I T B E C A U S E I T I N T R O D U C E D H E R T O T H E

W O R L D O F W R I T I N G .

[ M Y I N S T A G R A M H A N D L E I S @ V I D H I S A H A Y ]

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identity

FINDING

THE RIGHT

29 | Flair

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Saswati Soumya Dash is a new

photographer doing terrace

photography. She is 18 years old.

She has been photographing for

sometime now and now finally

decided to publish her works and

hope to make a difference here.

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