submission by Jaya Das

[Jaya Das]

This is my poem for the anthology-

Silence

Out of my abode as I walk ahead 

Following my dampish footsteps

I can hear the lucid city cries:

Usual brawl in markets, clamour in streets,

Hoots and horns teeming the air

And I can hear a feeble wail from some 

other part which isn't the same.

I decided to detour to blow away my queer

Reaching the vicinity, the groaning takes vigour

A lamenting voice strikes my ear,
"Oh my boy! why you left us like this?"

Finally, arriving at the scene, I get a shiver in my bones

Seeing a kid howl,
"Father, you promised me to get the car tomorrow."

Gazing their blotched eyes welling with lumps of tears

I can see blood stains painting the streets

People running in haste, leaping over

and crushing the dead bodies

And I can see those merciless eyes of that young boy

holding rifle

The hands meant to shape the world

Were triggering out countless bullets.

And I can see the warriors engrossed in rescue operation

Letting their gallant hearts pierced with shots

Tears rolling down from my eyes urges-

We are the volcanic lava and they are

just a piece of small land

It yearns out to erupt, give out a loud grunt

And break the silence to restore it again.

[Richard Deodati]

An intense poem of angst centered around a terrorist incident in a crowded city street where the conversation turns personal between fathers and sons and others now immersed in panic and tragedy and misery. "The hands meant to shape the world were triggering out countless bullets!" Written by Jaya Das, "Silence" comes full circle and ends right where it began... "It yearns out to erupt, give out a loud grunt and break the silence to restore it again." Thank You, Jaya, for your fine poem.