writing – Iniya Writes

The Creation of the Cherokee World

For my “World Mythology” class in school, we studied creation myths from all over the world. I chose to focus on the Cherokee myth, and wrote diary entries from the perspective of one of the participants. Hope you enjoy!

Many many years ago in the Southeast US

Dear diary,
Wow! Creating a world sure is cool! I mean, I never imagined that I’d have the honor of getting to do such a thing, but the rest of the animals picked me and who was I to say no? So, I dove from the top of Galunlati all the way to the bottom of the ocean. My job was to find a safe place to land, so we, me and all the animals, wouldn’t have to be all crowded up top anymore. Anyways, there was like no land in the ocean, it was all just water! Which was so sad, and I was about to give up, but I remembered what my Grandpa had always told me and I kept going. Eventually, I decided to just dive under the water and guess what! I found…mud. That’s right, real mud! I was celebrating so much, but I knew I had to prove myself first. So, I scooped up as much mud as I could and brought it up with me to the surface. Then, all I had to do was fly back up and let it expand! Everyone called me a hero when I reached Galunlati again, which was so cool. I mean, I know I’m just a small beetle, but I really felt like a superstar at that moment. Ah…I know I’m letting it go to my head, but still! It was pretty awesome.
I heard that someone’s tying up the mud with ropes so that it floats above the ocean, which is great! Grandpa’s worried about the ropes snapping, but I’m sure it’ll be fine! For now, at least.
Ok, goodbye for now Diary! I’ll see you once we’ve all moved onto our new home.

Dear Diary,
Well, what can I say…it’s been a lot of waiting. But it’s interesting. A lot of people who were super excited to move at first are now worried. They feel like they’re being forced to a new place, like all us animals are losing our rightful land. I get where they’re all coming from, but it’s so crowded up here above the Sky Arch that I think the best thing to do is live with it! It’ll be really weird at first and everything, but we have to, so we may as well make the best of it! We can create a new life, no matter where we are. It’s for the betterment of us and our society, after all.
Anyways…we’ve been stuck up here. I know, I know, I said we’d be down on this new “Earth” in no time, but the mud hasn’t dried yet. And I know it’s not my fault, but…I can’t help but feel like I could’ve done better. If I had just gotten less soft mud, or searched further…All the other animals have been very kind to me. I think they can see just how much I’m beating myself up. Grandpa, especially, has been helping me a lot. He’s been telling me stories- he’s super wise and all.
He told me all about the Greeks, the Japanese and the Norse. Yeah, the Norse like the Vikings! Really cool, I know. He told me about how they created their worlds, in different universes, ages ago. The Norse are also afraid of the destruction of their world, just like Grandpa is! Just like us, this destruction is prophesied to happen wayyy in the future, but I get why everyone’s scared. Death is…creepy and we’re all worried about it. Anyways, onto happier things! Like…my job in creating the Earth! By doing that, I separated the sky and what became our Earth, which is exactly what happened in Japanese and Greek mythology as well! So basically, I’ve made history. It’s super important, I guess, since we took something that was once whole, and split it. Since being whole is so important to us, I guess the fact that we were able to separate the sky and earth is a huge deal. So yeah, I felt a little better after that.
Oh! Great Buzzard is back! He was sent out to survey the Earth, to check if its suitable for living yet. See you soon, diary!

Dear Diary,
We have officially moved! When Buzzard created the Earth, he added a bunch of mountains, which makes moving around awkward for some animals, but I think it just gives us character! We also didn’t have a sun for a while, then we got one, but it was super close to us and we were all so hot, so the conjurers, or magic-doers, moved it up to where it is now!
Anyways, Grandpa told me more stories, but this time I found some differences between their worlds and ours…like us animals. In all the other creation stories, it was a god who made the world. But, here, I did that! With the help of the other animals. I guess it shows just how important creatures and the ecosystem are to all of us. Also, the Earth being held up by rope is something that only exists in our world, which is more proof of the previous thing, I guess. And the mountains in our story reflect our land, another thing that makes us unique. Our story is so wide and covers so many animals, and it really shows our diversity and strengths.
Anyways, diary, I went exploring yesterday and…I found another world! I followed the streams of water and found the pathway into this dimension that was the exact same as ours, just colder. I asked the other animals about it and they called it the “Underworld”. Owl thinks that it’ll be warmer sometimes, and colder at others. It reminded me of Norse mythology, if you don’t mind me bringing it up again. Their Underworld is also colder, but unlike them, our Underworld isn’t necessarily evil, or bad. I guess the temperature difference is because we see the Underworld as a completely different and unique place. And as for why it’s not all that bad…well, I know me and all the animals agree that while death is scary, it’s a natural part of living.
Anyways. I’m really excited to live out my new life on our new Earth! See you later, diary <3.

The Water Beetle

the weight of an almond- a poem

an almond weighs as much as an almost
when it sits in your hand, brown, guileless
and when it crunches in between your teeth
and leaves its skin in your smile

almonds are the past;
the smell of a kitchen, the taste of flaky pastries,
the bitter tang of things left unsaid

almonds are untrue;
they want to be nuts, but they are not.
only i know the truth. i hold it close to my chest

almonds are cultivated;
they’re not found in the wild anymore,
we keep them to ourselves selfishly, we do not share

almonds are slow;
give them time, let them sprout into a beauty
or hold them tight to your chest and watch them rot

maybe next time i hold an almond, i will throw it out into the world
or maybe i will crunch it again
and let my teeth stain almond-skin-brown with regret.

I wrote this for the Scholastic Art and Writing competition and got a silver key!

The Moon

The Moon is New
new, just like we become on this night,
ready to embark on a journey of the self
ready to be born anew, be reformed into a better you

The Moon Grows
a call to action- be bright, shine,
it serves as a reminder that change is
possible, that we are everchanging and glowing

The Moon Pauses
yet, it is not the time for us to do the same
it is time to act, to push, to strengthen yourself
grow, just as the moon does. thrive.

The Moon Waxes
it is time. almost time for change, for brightness,
for festivities. but not yet. prove yourself. finish
what you must. and then, find yourself on the side of joy.

The Moon is Full
it lights the dark, a beacon of hope and
change. transformation blooms as the
moon of dreams rises over the fields of truth

The Moon Wanes
the fading of light, to some, but in reality,
it is simply a calling, a reminder for one
to look within and reflect. be one with the person you are

The Moon is Half
it is time, one might say, to let go
the cycle is almost complete, it is about
to reset. but not yet. let your worries go. then, breathe.

The Moon Shrinks
turn inwards. think of yourself.
as we get ready to begin again, contemplate
then, take a deep breath, and let the moon grow.

Singapore

For winter break, I visited Singapore. It was such a lovely trip- I had lived there when I was 3, so it was great to see all the places I used to know and make new memories.

On our first day in Singapore, we spent time exploring the mall close to our hotel! While exploring the mall, I learned just how cute everything in Singapore was. It seemed like Hello Kitty, and similar characters, were everywhere, on all the packaging and sponsorships. I also had a curry puff and tried a traditional shaved ice.

The next day, we went to the zoo, to have “Breakfast with Orangutans”. It was such a fun and cute experience, and I also got to get up close with owls and penguins! The orangutans were given tasks to solve in order to get their own food, and they were preoccupied with that.

We also took this opportunity to tour both NUS and NTU, two famous colleges in Singapore. Both campuses were more “American”, while still being in a very green and humid campus. They were both so lovely, and I know I’ll be applying to both of them.

Another day, we went to Marina Bay Sands, specifically the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. The Cloud Forest had a “Jurassic Park” theme, so there were dinosaurs everywhere. The animatronics were all life-size, expressive, and very impressive!

All together, I really enjoyed my Singapore visit, especially as it’s also the site of the very first night race in Formula 1, and I was able to visit where the cars would race, as well as a museum dedicated to F1. It was such a fun trip!

Kandasashti

This year, I attended the Houston temple’s Kandasashti celebrations. Kandasasthi celebrates Muruga, and tells the story of his victory over the asuras, and his marriage to Devasena.

The Kandasashti starts by granting the vel, Muruga’s divine weapon, to Muruga. Then, we follow the procession to Muruga’s battleground. Different asuras emerge, one with an elephant’s head, one with a lion’s head, and finally one with a demon’s face- Soorapadman. The asuras are lifted on podiums, and surrounded by neem leaves. Muruga, with his vel beheads them all, proving himself brave and victorious. The demon transforms into Murugua’s peacock and a rooster, which becomes his symbol.

After this, Muruga is set to be married. We sat in the main temple, waiting for Muruga and his new wife, Deivanai, to be dressed and wedded. When the curtains finally drew back, revealing Muruga, the crowd’s gasps said it all. The priests bathed Murugu in milk, yogurt, coconut water, rose water, sandalwood, etc. then decorated him for his marriage.

Overall, the process was beautiful to watch, and there was a much larger crowd than I had expected. I learned so much about this festival and enjoyed watching it be reenacted in such splendor, even in the United States.

The Girl in the Tree in the Bluebonnet Field

It wasn’t supposed to rain. At least, Julie’s ma hadn’t said anything about it and everyone in town knew Ma could “read the weather” with an accuracy that was almost frightening. They would’ve called her a witch and run her out of town if she wasn’t so useful. But useful she was, and so she stayed, baking her bread while Pa was off at work, at the oil rigs, in the Panhandle. He was away more days than not, and so Julie had grown up wild. Running through blackberry fields barefoot, catching fireflies in mason jars, bandaids over scrapes and bruises. Wild smiles and messy hair, her ma ever-so-carefully brushing iodine over the cuts with a shake of her head and a warning to “please, please, be more careful next time, sweetheart”. And Julie would smile and nod, knowing that she’d be back outside the very next day.
As she grew older, Ma had put her to work outside- if she was to run in the blackberry fields, she might as well pick some to make blackberry cobbler, and if she wanted to play outside, she could bring back water from the well by the McGuire’s property. Julie had chafed at these restrictions, these limits on her own time, at first, but as more and more of her classmates disappeared from school to help their own mothers’ with the household work, she realized just what a blessing Ma had given her. Even now, as she neared adulthood, Ma had begun to fret about her appearance, her wildness that couldn’t be tamed. Julie had been successful in brushing off Ma’s concerns with a carefree laugh, but the thought of when that laugh wouldn’t be enough disquieted her.

Today was another one of those days where she slipped out the door to evade Ma, promising with a charming grin to bring back enough strawberries to make shortcake- Phoebe’s favorite. Phoebe was young, prim, and perfect in all the ways Julie was not. Phoebe was Ma’s favorite, of course, but Julie was Pa’s. It made sense- Julie was everything Pa was, a little wild, a little carefree, a lot irresponsible.

Just like Pa, Julie liked getting a little lost. She liked wandering through the bramble-filled thickets, liked not knowing where she would end up. A rumble of thunder gave her pause. She glanced up, frowning as she noticed the darkening sky, thick with grey, angry clouds. She’d have to hurry, then. Unfortunate, but if she didn’t make it home, Ma would worry up a storm and she didn’t need that these days. Not with the townsfolk’s whispers and sidelong glances at Julie, with their rumors of her being “unmarriable”. Yes, Ma had enough on her plate and Julie would hate to add to that. So she gathered up her skirts, stepping through the undergrowth with purposeful strides, making her way to the strawberry fields.

The skies didn’t clear…but it didn’t look like it would rain either, so, with a basket full of strawberries, Julie returned to exploring. And that was when she saw her, a stark contrast to the rich blues of the bluebonnet field. A girl, with the blondest hair Julie had ever seen, the same blonde Julie’s had been as a kid. She was fast asleep in a cedar tree, the expression on her face…content. Almost…almost happy. Julie hadn’t seen anyone with that expression in a long, long time. Not in this dusty old town, where everybody was too concerned with what the neighbors would think. But this girl…she wasn’t from this town. She didn’t live with the heavy, heavy expectations that had started to follow Julie like a shadow. Her lightness made Julie feel…well, jealous, yes, but also, strangely carefree. If this girl could live like this, whose to say Julie couldn’t either?
And so, she turned and went back home, the basket of strawberries swinging gently. She would help Ma make the shortcake. She would be the best big sister to Phoebe. And then, when it was time, she’d leave and make her own path in life. And she’d be happy.

Top Books of August

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
This book was so well-written and filled with so many cool details and characters. Rin has worked hard her entire life, so when her parents announce that she’ll be married off, her hard work gone to waste, she decides to act. She studies for the notoriously hard civil service exams, and someone pulls through, plunging her into a world of danger and intelligence. This was such a well-written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sanskari Sweetheart by Ananya Devarajan
This was an amazing, sweet book about Raina, who needs to prove to her mom that she can make dance a career. But in doing so, she’s pushing away everyone close to her. She realizes this when she gets stuck in a timeloop, forced to repeat the day over and over until she solves her problem. This book was super cute and interesting!
The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
This was such an interesting collection of stories that detailed different medical conditions- from lacking certain sensations or images to feeling too many sensations. I learned a lot from this book and every story was incredibly interesting.
Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Avachat
This was such a cute book! Archi is planning to have the best senior year overseas in India. She needs to complete her capstone project and she gets to do it in her parents’ homeland. And, she meets a cute guy who really likes her. But when she realizes not everything is as it seems, life gets complicated. This was such a well-written and sweet book and I really enjoyed it!

A New School Year

11th grade. Junior year. When I was in 9th grade, it felt so far away, the idea that I too would be an upperclassmen one day. But now that the school year’s started and I’m here, I find that it’s all gone by so fast.

This year, out of 7 total classes, I’m taking 6 advanced ones, which means a lot more work and studying. My only non-advanced course is World Religions/Mythology which I’m very excited about, as it’s a class I’ve been wanting to take ever since I heard about it 2 years ago.

Junior year is well known for being the hardest year. It’s often when students take on the heaviest course load and the hardest classes. I’m nervous, of course, but also excited and ready to tackle the challenge.

Summer: A Poem

Summer is
Hot days, too hot to even think about going outside

Summer is
the blast of the AC- no wait, too cold now

Summer is
jellies and ice-creams and too-sweet drinks

Summer is
watching awful movies you’ve seen before just to laugh

Summer is
new projects started and old ones continued, so much to do,

Summer is
fun.

🙂

The AnDroids

Breakfast these days was a bar of soap. Nothing less, nothing more. Maisie’s grandmother had told her stories of humans and their fragile stomachs couldn’t handle the taste of soap, and honestly, Maisie found that hard to believe. Her kind, the AnDroids as humans liked to call them, had been raised on different meals- the oil of a model car, for example, or the bottom of a letter- the part that contained the x’s and o’s.
She made her way downstairs, where Grandma was just serving breakfast. The radio was on, the AnDroid announcer prattling on about the latest misdeeds of humans. They wanted war with the AnDroids, it seemed, claiming their jobs were being stolen, running amok with no sense of cohesion whatever. Grandma’s snort told Maisie everything she needed to know- it was beneath them.
Breakfast over, Maisie slipped into her room. Grandma would be out for the most of the day, going around, shopping, talking to the neighbors, buying fabrics and funny little buttons that Maisie loved to sort and play with. So, knowing that Grandma would be out, Maisie pried up the loose board in the corner of her room, taking out a CD player. Grandma wasn’t a big fan of human artifact, in fact, saying that she hated them wouldn’t be too far from the truth. But Maisie couldn’t stay away from music. She’d gotten the CDs from a previous classmate- back in elementary school, before the humans decided the AnDroids were too dangerous for their kids to be around.
Maisie knew when Grandma was back, she’d have to pretend to hate humans and all their inventions again. But for now, she swayed to the music, closing her eyes and letting herself pretend peace was the reality.