... (on child sexual abuse)

`
A sweet bitter
A bitter sweet
Across the dust
On dusty feet

The green is grass
And the dark is night
She hates to be
And she hates the light

And she flees away
To tall that tree
To bury her
That the man may be
`

Pilani, RJ,

November, 2006

The Town-Square Din

`
Horns hoot, bells scream
As they get in each other’s way
None willing to pause for the other.

Someone barks at a mike,
Some hear, none believe,
They’ve heard that lie before.

At the pan shop, a radio howls,
A wavering signal sings of love,
Love still exists, they say.

Utensils clatter as the twelve-year-old
Makes tea, the ten-year-old serves.

A goat tied at the post bleats,
As the busy butcher hacks and chops its sibling –
A lazy queue patiently waits;
Men talk, women gossip, children chatter.

At the corner, an urchin wails…

Not afar,
We trudge… along the sidewalk,
Pain drops trickle down
Along those wrinkle grooves.
No words are said, not a single sound is heard.
These silent words are just too loud.
`

Chandannagar, WB,

October, 2005

The Stench of the Lull

`
Nor a whisper
Nor a sound,
Not a gurgle
The brook is bound

The air is still
No wind does blow,
Nor barks the dog
Nor caws the crow

For they like the quiet
They like the lull,
They like no stir
But the rust-red dull

No gibberish they’ll bear
No prattle, no chatter
They only talk
Talk what does matter

There are ladies
There are gentlemen,
Not a child alive
The heart’s so dead, lives the brain

It’s the kingdom of the wise
The kingdom of the grave
Such a proud kingdom they made
They, the living dead
`

Chandannagar, WB,

May, 2004

Apoptosis

`
Life said, “Let’s kill Mr. Death!”
“I’ll never suicide, dear Mr. Life,
I’m all-powerful, I am too strong,
Hardened by my business” ---
the narrow incandescent eyes glare at Life...
“Ha!” Life smiled aloud,
“You forget, you are naught but my parasite dear,
If need be, I’ll destroy myself to destroy you,
For your methods are most sadistic, cruel,
That make a mockery of my creative genius...”
Death had sprung up,
Utter joy written all over the dark face,
“Characteristic weakness Life, your characteristic weakness,
That you can never overcome,
Self-destruction in the end, what a joke,
To kill me, what a peach of a joke...Ha! Ha! Ha! ...”

[Exeunt]
`

Pilani, RJ,

November, 2003