Bhuwan Thapaliya
There is chaos; there is pollution.
There is noise; there is suspicion.
There is corruption; there is struggle.
Yet, even when I don’t
understand this city,
I never underestimate it.
This is my city—
A labyrinth of contradictions,
where neon lights flicker
against weary faces,
where sirens wail,
yet dreams refuse to sleep.
It has always
invigorated me,
pushing me to breathe,
to move, to adapt,
to find my rhythm
in its tangled pulse.
Its heart beats loudly,
even in silence,
and amidst the cracks
and fractures,
I find my strength,
my purpose.
This city,
with all its imperfections,
is my home—
both my challenge
and my muse.
And in its
restless embrace,
I find myself.
(Bhuwan Thapaliya is a poet from Kathmandu, Nepal, who balances his career as an economist with his passion for poetry. He has authored five poetry collections, including Safa Tempo: Poems New and Selected (Nirala Publications, New Delhi). His work has been featured in international journals, global anthologies, and initiatives like Life in Quarantine (Stanford University) and the International Human Rights Art Festival. An active voice in the literary world, he has read and presented his work in countries including South Korea, India, the U.S., Thailand, and Cambodia.)
