There is something about ‘A Brown Girl’s Guide’ that hit me hard. Was it her trembling voice? The pain and aggression to fix things reflected in her eyes? Was it the emotions I could resonate with?

Such was the vibration in the air when 18-year-old Aranya Johar recited her spoken word poem, ‘A Brown Girl’s Guide.’ A popular name in the young poetry circle, she rhymed her anger into a rant against hypocrisy prevailing in our society, its double standards, misunderstanding of feminism, etc.

Having garnered over 445,975 views in 20 days on YouTube, Aranya is sure a poet-star! To know more about the poetess, Indian Women Blog rang her.

How did poetry come into your life? What was the first poem you wrote?

Poetry was introduced to me in school. But honestly, I never related to those poems of war and nature. They always seemed so pretentious to me. Everything that was written in the text was so much more than what I actually saw. The trees and the nature around me were not how it was penned down by the poets of another era. As a kid, I always wanted to read poems and stories that I could connect with.

When I was in 5th grade, I got an assignment where I had to write a poem ‘On a Rainy Day.’ I had no clue what to do so I asked my dad and elder brother for help. My dad told me he would happily do it, but I should still try it myself. I was a kid, and all I knew was to follow the ABAB rhyme scheme. Though the poem was silly, I realized how I was able to imagine and feel so many things, put thoughts into words and describe my experience.

This poem was the first I wrote, but I don’t have it anymore. There are other embarrassing pieces I had written!

I’ll share the second poem I wrote called ‘Shopping and Lipstick,’ and I tell you a funny thing, the poem was not at all related to shopping or lipsticks!

Do you remember the time we needed each other but no other?
Do you remember the time there was love, but there was no life?
Do you remember when we sang a song, but there was no one there to sing along?
I don’t wanna make a fuss,
I just need both of us,
Both of us,
See, love is behind us,
Cause we’re in love plus,
Does love really need us?

What went behind writing ‘A Brown Girl’s Guide’?

Well, this was my first piece on gender issues. I don’t write on such topics. Instead, I always write on mental health. UnErase Poetry got in touch with me, and they wanted me to write a poem for Women’s Day and so ‘A Brown Girl’s Guide’ to gender was born. To be honest, I didn’t really like this piece. It brought me out of my comfort zone. I don’t curse or moan through my poems. But before the performance, when I called my dad, he told me that there are things that all of us know, but we don’t address. This may not be what you want to perform, but this is surely what we all need to hear.

This made me feel that even if I am able to evoke emotions and a sense of responsibility within one person in the audience, it will mean a lot. And to know if that happens, I’ll have to talk about it.

Art comes with a lot of criticism. How do you keep away the negativity?

Frankly speaking, I never in my dreams thought I would get such a response on this poem. Post my first performance, I have had people from Germany, America, Syria, and Pakistan, getting in touch with me and appreciating my work. I never thought I would get such a relatable response from the countries I thought were relatively progressive.

Talking about trolls, there were people who did not agree with what I said, but I never had to answer to them. There were so many people who resonated with my poem that they stood guard for me.

But in a way, I was ready for all this. I knew that such a poem will generate a backlash. That is why the night before the piece went online, I was a little skeptical as to how people would respond. My mom told me that there will always be some people who will not like what I do. And so, I should not bother about them and rather concentrate on the ones who might want to listen to me.

One reaction you remember after your first performance of ‘A Brown Girl’s Guide’?

My friend and organizer of UnErase Poetry, Simar Singh had his grandmother attending the event. She is a conventional Punjabi lady. Since she was sitting in the front row, and due to the placement of the lights, I could only look at her and a few others. I could see her being uncomfortable when I started narrating the poem. But after my performance, she came up to me and appreciated what I narrated. She said, “The moment you talk about certain things without sugar-coating them, is when you realize the urgency of them being discussed.”

I will always remember how an old woman could relate to my words.

What do you wish to bring back from your first piece of poetry?

In my initial years of writing poetry, I wrote and performed for myself without any inhibition. But off late, if I write five pieces of poetry, I perform one. I have to worry about the audience. I have to understand whether they’ll like it or not, whether they’ll absorb the emotions and comprehend the meaning I try to convey, etc. Earlier if I felt sad, angry, happy, I used to write. But now I have to analyze my work a lot more than before. So, even if I am performing for myself, I still have to give something back to the people who have come to listen to me.

Share with us one piece of work that has never come out?

…every night my husband,  came back from work in glee
but those dimples were not for me but for what was inside me
soon it kicked each day to no end
now telling me that I was getting fat no longer offends
we got our next picture, even prettier than the last
before we knew it 8 months had passed
we painted the room green, praying that it was liked
there was a changing cabinet to the cot’s right
we counted down the days, a day closer to this baby
was excited to find out if it were a gentleman or a lady
my hospital bag was packed
my husband was prepared
the doctor told me not to worry, to have no care
I was soon rushed to the hospital, a few hours away from her or his eyes
the doctor on my stomach made an incision
saying I was prepared was a lie
out came a baby. I saw my baby girls beautiful feet
too bad,  too bad, her heart didn’t beat

What are your future plans? Are you planning to take poetry as your career?

Sigh! I am giving my final board exams at the moment. All I know is that I have a very keen interest in Literature. I would have been really glad if poetry was feasible, but sadly it hasn’t become a commodity yet.

So I don’t know as of yet, but I’ll probably want to pursue journalism or advertising or mass communication.

But that’s about art and creative works, right? You don’t often get paid what you deserve. No matter what I’ll do, I will always keep poetry by my side.

How do you balance your school and poetry?

Haha, I am glad you asked that. I guess because of my parents’ support. They have always been very encouraging and helpful in this whole poetry venture. I write often, but that’s not time-consuming, what takes most of my time is performances. I am no an A-grader, but an above average student. My parents have always helped me find a middle ground between my extracurricular and academics. I am a blessed child to have parents who understand that academics isn’t everything. They have always told me that it’s my life and I have the right to take my own decisions. All they are worried is that I should be happy and be able to feed myself.

What is a Brown Girl’s Guide to:

First date: Dress comfortably, Be yourself and try to make your partner laugh.

Cooking: Youtube channels, Zomato, and online food ordering. Also, keep fire extinguishers near. ‘Been there, done that!’

Dealing with Indian Aunties: Smile, smile and keep smiling. Ask them about their dogs, facebook profiles, etc. Precisely anything to change the topic!

Sexism: Be well-informed, wise with your words and open to the change of opinions.

Singlehood: Don’t be afraid of being by yourself, get yourself a pet (hamsters or guinea pigs would do) and work on yourself.

Dreams: Don’t let your socio-economic conditions limit you, read a lot about whatever you dream, believe in yourself to get it, and yes make a plan!

Check Aranya’s performance below: