'Baidew' in Queer Poetry from South Asia

So this beloved poem 'Baidew', which is one of my favouritest, was published in the Harper Collins anthology of Queer Poetry from South Asia edited by Aditi Angiras and Akhil Katyal, The World Belongs To Us, wow!! An honour and a privilege. Incidentally, Aditi and Akhil are both friends. 

 

Baidew

 

You said I remind you of your sister

When she was very young.

Sometimes I think I could have been

Your littlest sister. Could have played

With you, read with you and

Grown up with you.

Sometimes I think I could have been Axomiya

I look at your sister, she is like you

But not a mirror image. Sometimes I think

I could be her. I could be her sister too. You, her,

And me too. I could sister-love you, sister-look-up-to-you

And sister-tease you then.

I could take that as fundamental fact

Before I took on the world.

Sometimes I think I could have

Called you Baidew.