qarrtsiluni

by June Nandy

The streets are deserted. A bird comes
to collect our quills; it carries wrecked
houses, ransacked school-rooms,
burnt out sanctum, smashed shops in its
beak and flies to a figment-
island with our micro-characters.

Days later, others—like me—go and
spend some sweat to bring home a
new federal policy, fresh job-hunt
papers and a leader from the mart.

The crowd is brave not to wince
when the bird scoops out topical arts
hidden in their skulls; when blood
leans on their temples.

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June Nandy’s recent works have appeared in The Beat, Aphelion, Muse India, Kritya, Up The Staircase Literary Review, and elsewhere. She has won the third place in the open poetry contest, 2009 with Prakriti Foundation, Chennai. Her debut novel Ideospheres of Pain is available on Amazon. Her poems can be accessed through her blog.