Numb

Crimson flowers
Sprout, in splashes of
A calculated violence.
Senseless.

“We can’t go for the movie,
The show got cancelled”
;
Another attack on Delhi.
Or was it Mumbai?

“20 killed!”
“10^th attack on Indian soil this year!”
“What is the Indian government doing?!”

“Oh,” said I.

Seeing me downcast;
“Don’t worry,” he said.

“We’ll fight back”
The television told me so.
“They can’t break our spirit”
Ditto.
“This won’t happen again.”

…

Seeing me despondent still, he
Gives up.
But he doesn’t understand;

I wanted to see that movie.