As soon as I open the door, I see
The melted carcasses in the city of wreck
An ocean terror-struck by the cutting flood of flies.
Time seems to grind to a halt.
As soon as I open the door, I see
Men who have become ghosts, scream
They rehearse for a lull in the war
Scattering red colours on sky-high mansions
From a plane, they ask. . .
What has fate stored for us.
Bearing the lifeless bodies of soldiers
The weary horses return.
As soon as I open the door, I see
The evergrowing list of those lost in the war
The tepid warmth of damp soil.
The fishy smell of the pondsides
The dreams of
Where have they gone.
What have died within us today.
The load of endless sorrow
Keeps but weighing more and more.
As soon as I open the door, I see
A face etched in unfulfilled misery
Countless words crewed my lips
But none break free
It appears the ocean is confused
It is in flames and yet mute.
When will that day dawn
When unhindered, the ocean will flow
Unending
Who can ever say,
As soon as I open the door, I see
A procession of smiles.
***
©hridayanan
H