UNLEARNING

Everybody was in hurry to unpack 
the sins and reshuffle the names 
of burns, by taking a holy dip 
in mauve lake. I wanted to defang them. 
Acid attack had the inversion effect 
on the expressions. 

It was an obscene vision 
unrolling the infant 
for bleeding an opponent. The procession 
moved on. Details never came out. 
Only the flaming bodies, loud thuds 
and the screaming virgins. 

This was unlucky for the hutments, 
fragile poles crumbled down, unspeakable 
emptiness on the faces. Something has 
to be unlearnt. Too much pain of 
the knowledge. Ectopic pregnancy?

Satish Verma