“It is here today that a struggle is being fought,
not in the battlefield but in the minds.”
~ Nehru
not in the battlefield but in the minds.”
~ Nehru
That winter, out of mind,
two parts of his brain declared war on each other.
Third one sat unperturbed in a corner thinking,
‘Let it all be over. I shall wait. Imagine, I am not even here.’
City was hit by palsy.
Shivers, they say, lasted two decades.
two parts of his brain declared war on each other.
Third one sat unperturbed in a corner thinking,
‘Let it all be over. I shall wait. Imagine, I am not even here.’
City was hit by palsy.
Shivers, they say, lasted two decades.
A decade later, many empty skulls with broken windows
were sold cheap in flea markets of his brain.
Many a birds made nest in them even as
many a birds had flown away to foreign lands. Or, to paradise.
were sold cheap in flea markets of his brain.
Many a birds made nest in them even as
many a birds had flown away to foreign lands. Or, to paradise.
Two decades later, they asked him,
‘Son, what do you see in your sleep?’
‘Son, what do you see in your sleep?’
In delirium, he replied,
‘I see the demon of civilisation dance.
I see two elephants,
each with memories running back hundred years,
lock their tusks in violent embrace.
I see Mihirakula laugh.
I hear the elephants shriek as they fall off the tea table.
I see many a skulls trample under their feet.
I see they all are now prints on your kaleen.
And I see a third elephant too in the room,
in a corner silently knitting yarn
to keep war war-m for a winter lasting
another hundred year.’
‘I see the demon of civilisation dance.
I see two elephants,
each with memories running back hundred years,
lock their tusks in violent embrace.
I see Mihirakula laugh.
I hear the elephants shriek as they fall off the tea table.
I see many a skulls trample under their feet.
I see they all are now prints on your kaleen.
And I see a third elephant too in the room,
in a corner silently knitting yarn
to keep war war-m for a winter lasting
another hundred year.’
