REFRACTION

Step aside. 
The white flowing mane 
was going to become the adrenaline. 
Fear of silence was turning into a green wound. 


The dissenting life-blood has vandalized 
the moon. There was a provocation 
from the black stars. The leopard 
was ready to tear open the zoo. 

The outreach was a puzzling thing. 
Who was responsible for rearing 
the panthers in captivity? The tail, the claws, 
the teeth were vulnerable. 

I was sick of pretentions. Every act 
had a motive of loss or gain. Night or day 
the sphinx always looms large. You can 
walk in, to talk to coffin.

Satish Verma