Fragility & Finitude

Thursday, 19 March 2026

झिरमिरते स्वप्न - प्राजक्ता वेदपाठक

तो ओठांवरती माझ्या ओठांनी लिहितो गाणी

मग चंद्र उतरतो देही, अलवार साखरीवेळी

आसक्त मनाला येते मंतरली मोहक हाळी

गात्रातुन माझ्या सजते स्पर्शाची चांदणखेळी

व्याकुळले स्पंद बिलगती मौनाची भाषा कळता

देहाचे छंद विहरती श्वासांचा झोका झुलता

बंधाची लाज विखुरते सैलावत धागा तुटतो

तृष्णेच्या काठावरती प्रणयाला येते जाग

बेधुंद सुरातुन खुलतो तृप्तीचा आतुर राग

गंधाळुन उमलत जाते केशरी दिठीचे फूल

उत्कट मोहाला पडते निःशब्द सुखाची भूल

धुंदीचे उधळत जातो तो ठसे बिलोरी कायी

भासांना ठेउन जातो हळुवार क्षणांच्या ठायी

घेऊन उशाला आठव आश्वस्त होउनी निजते

ओघळत्या डोळ्यांमधुनी झिरमिरते स्वप्न उतरते

How beautiful can the seeds look :) - Illustration by Sefi George

A Note from Sefi George, the illustrator

For the Indian Women Scientists' Association book 'Creating Learning Gardens and Living Museums', I illustrated a spread showing a variety of seeds and seed pods. Some may feel familiar because we use them in our kitchens, while others come from trees and plants we pass by every day.

Each seed holds clues about how a plant travels and survives. Some are shaped to ride the wind, some are enclosed in pods that fall to the ground, and others move through the landscape with the help of birds and animals that eat them.

All the illustrations were hand drawn in pencil on paper and coloured digitally.

Working on them meant slowing down and paying close attention to each element, noticing its texture, form, and structure. What might first seem like a small, ordinary object begins to reveal remarkable design when you spend time observing it closely.

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