Here
everyone knows the subject,
they all shout, they reject
others who keep quiet.
Everyone is a writer, no one quite
reads what others write.

That despite
still, if you submit
what you write
to the houses which publish,
(they also read nothing)
some of them write back,
occasionally you get a reply,
curt automated messages
to acknowledge the receipt
and so typically and politely convey
to place your work elsewhere and some crap—
gentle elbowing, not exactly a harsh slap.

Debasis Tripathy works for an IT Company in Bangalore. He also writes – poems and short fiction. His recent work has been featured in Squawk Back, Collidescope, Turnpike, Adelaide Magazine, Kitaab , Punch Magazine & elsewhere. Occasionally, he tweets at @d_basis