MRITHYULOKA

Child..

have You studied

my eighth child..

?

what..

have you brought

back..little one

She whispers

gently..

silence..

falls..

all around

like curtains..

after the show

is over

Mother..i try..

to answer

alone..without

partner..fear

Ma do You..

mean movie..

or ashtavasu

kindly..explain

i stammer

in confusion

Both

Comes the reply

i dive

off the cliff

orphan..i

with nothing

to lose

Yes Ma

i offer

an answer

i may be wrong

but for Ma

all is right

yes..Mother

i hear

the answer

i recognise..

only

the voice..

i hear

it say

yes..Ma..

this is

a dying place

concentration

camp

for the heavens

this world of deceit

where punishment

is the only right

thing that

happens

this world

of shows..

n curtains

of blood..

so thin

of scars

of masks..

n beasts within

of tests

of marks..

of smiles

so dark

of fangs..

n whip

of venom

that drips..

from tongues

until..

it claims..

its kill

to then adorn

its shelves..

with horns

n hides..n fur

n heads severed

this world..

that hangs the

skulls

of the other

as a medal

around its neck..

this world..

of hidden

goodbyes

where behind

every face

a skeleton lies

ever reminding

of trailing fate

of cold blooded

karma

check mate