Aniruddha Sastikar

All alone in a dark room –
I gather myself exhausted and tired
on to the bed placed in between two reflectors
sitting there
I look at the image on the left –
I wink
wink and wink and smile back
to please myself
I glance at the figure on the right –
it blinks
blinks and blinks back and frowns

…they came at the door rushing
in tens
groped
held
tied me
tight

poured cold colors
yellow
violet
green
pink
sprinkled murky water
bottled from common tap

they
cheered
laughed and yelled

united colors of India

come evening
they gathered all
except me
for a meaty meal

i asked
why am i not on the list

you are an outsider of other caste here
in came the answer

i said

you said

united colors of India
this noon

aha
that was just for fun
and
you were a point of that

remember
in spite of colors
we still are divided
you jerk

they yelled in chorus
and i died

a racial death

…lend me
your wings
for a day or two
little Munia

Let me too
like you
fly across skies
sit atop
broken roofs
flowering trees
and
whistle away signals of love
echoing empty airs
around

I promise
I shall return them
on return
if I ever do…

(Munia is a name usually given to a Mynah bird.)

Gusty winter wind sizzles,
pierces through –
flesh, veins,
and ruffles the bones,
making them shiver,
shout; to fizzle out.
Bloodstreams freeze,
heart longs,
beloved’s warm hug
and
wrecked body,
awaits snug of graves.