Preeti Vangani is an Indian poet, writer and educator. Born and raised in Mumbai, she is the author of Mother Tongue Apologize (RLFPA Editions). Her poetry has been published in Gulf Coast, Hobart, Threepenny Review, among other journals. Her new poetry collection, "Fifty Mothers" is being published in February 2026 by River River Books.
Link to preorder Preti's new poetry collection: https://riverriverbooks.org/store/-Preorder--Fifty-Mothers-by-Preeti-Vangani-p801227256
Social Desirability Bias
Until her post-chemo wig arrived,
my mother peeled our every window open
no more than a finger’s width. In treatment,
she liked stealing a few scarfless minutes after lunch
on the balcony, retreating when the lingering neighbour
drew open his curtains.
Those days I interned at a women’s hair dye company.
Glossy swatches of hair, the whole pantone field:
cinnamons, reds, burgundies, blacks, and blondes
swished on my fingertips. Mummy never had a single grey.
I analysed why middle-aged women recorded
higher scores on Satisfaction as compared to Experience.
