“Playing with words freely like a flock of birds”
Yasmine Elsayed (she/her) // Contributor
Andrei Gueco (he/him) // Illustrator
There are different types of poets out there in the world. Some like to write Haikus, sonnets or cinquains. Others prefer reverse poems.
Vansh Malhotra graduated Capilano University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and Associate Degree in Creative Writing in 2025, however, his interest in writing started at around five or six years old, when he would read classic picture books and fairytales. He began to reimagine these stories, thinking, ‘What if prince charming wasn’t a prince but a poor boy who fell in love with Cinderella?’ He also questioned why the fairytales always had happy endings, “I just felt like reading something and then critiquing it, my own version of Cinderella or my own version of Beauty and the Beast. I often felt that fairy tales begin once upon a time and they end in that cliché way, as opposed to how life is.”
Ordinary life is what inspired him to write and venture more into poetry. In high school, his first publication was in the Sentinel Sun, a student newspaper at Sentinel Secondary. Malhotra describes, “That inspired me, that I could write well, and I compiled my reverse poems at Capilano under Dr. Kent Lewis’ guidance.”
Malhotra’s works capture many topics. One of his pieces, ‘The Internet’, talks about how the internet has become integrated in students’ lives but also how it has become a tool that people use to “substitute” their intelligence with; the internet can be credited for human success or it can be a hindrance. Malhotra’s definition of this fear can also be seen in his reverse poem ‘Studying Online’.
THE INTERNET
The use of the Internet should never be encouraged among students.
It is not wise to assert that
The Internet is a pure blessing to possess since it saves so much precious time.
Why does it take ages for someone to understand that
Apps like Google and YouTube obstruct students from using their natural intelligence.
One is committing an egregious error by thinking that
The Internet provides numerous opportunities in terms of education and communication.
I feel blessed to know that
The Internet is the primary source of criminal activity, and addiction makes one a criminal.
While the rest of the world is illusioned in believing the two myths that
The Internet has made it easy for the police to track down hideouts of the lawbreakers
AND
All technologies have efficiently created a solid platform of success for humans.
When you ponder deeply, you will get enlightened by the facts that
Technologies like calculators and social media are a hindrance to the human brain.
I am sick and tired of illogical criticism, which suggests that
Without the Internet, economies would stop functioning, with systems collapsing.
This view is not accurate as no one can conceal the reality that
The Internet is the only source that motivates students towards plagiarism
It is sometimes said that
The Internet is a friendly trap and possesses excellent disadvantages.
I feel it is ludicrous to provide inaccurate information by stating that
The Internet has glorified society with development and is undoubtedly a lucky charm.
STUDYING ONLINE
Online classes have numerous advantages associated with them.
Society is thinking in the wrong direction by believing that
Online classes are just a waste of time with nothing interesting.
Open your eyes to realize the truth that
Time and money get saved by studying from the comforts of your home.
It is not a big deal at all, even if
You do not get to interact with your teacher and classmates in real life.
There is no point left in studying if
You have to devote so much time to travel to the campus.
It is not a burden if
Sometimes the internet crashes down or kicks you from an online class.
Every circumstance has its problems, but the worst is when
You get stuck in traffic for long hours while travelling to and from your home.
It is not a severe problem to complain about if
Someone says that online studying does affect your eyesight and brain.
You have to sacrifice something to achieve something more significant.
It could be accurate, but we all know that
It is so comfortable to be in the environment of your own home,
It could lead one into believing that
Most crimes happen in the online world.
You could face the problem of peer pressure in a classroom but don’t forget that
You can never get influenced by anyone through the online world.
Stop fooling people around you by declaring that
Studying online is a complete disaster.
Nowadays, with the rapid rise of AI, there is a constant unrest regarding how and when AI will be fully integrated in the workforce. The creative field is especially at risk. Malhotra describes the increasing difficulty in recognizing human-written poetry as opposed to AI-written poetry, on which he comments, “I attended a workshop at Vancouver library. In poetry class, the teacher, Samina Khan, said that it’s become very tough to recognize which work is created by artificial intelligence and which work is created by a human. And she fears that creative writing professors may be replaced soon.”
Malhotra will be attending The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University in September where he will be working on a project labelled ‘Doctor Brain,’ in which he explores mental health in the format of fairy tales, cartoons and childlike whimsical language. The development of this project is inspired by his professional training as a laughing yoga instructor, as well as his academic courses in psychology and applied behaviour analysis. To keep up with further developments in Malhotra’s writing journey, follow his Instagram @toffeetwisttales.