BONFIRE~by Saroj K Padhi

 

 

BONFIRE

Leaves and twigs dry like our selfsame bodies
burn in the morning bonfire of hearts in hills
awakening dormant glimmer of our lost game ,
of our fight for right to the jungle’s old name ;

defeated, now we are in the outskirts of woods
burning in bouts of jungle fire here and there,
with miles of uncontrolled flame and its rough ire,
across mountains, that tried to ignite greater fire …

as we sit in front of our huts open to bites from cold
poverty staring at us thro’ our tattered blanket holes
perhaps waiting for another Mahatma to be soon born
to redeem our minds tired after heat of battles torn,
to give relief to outlandish, rusted Mao- guns outworn
as morning Sun mixes fog with smokes from bonfire,
to point to trails of a new hope in the distant horizon .

Copy right : @ Saroj K. Padhi