Where lovers reappear
In a tormentor’s labyrinth
When unbelief triumphs over love
Where the spirit of pride
Undermines true excellence
When a deceitful tongue
Is reflected in a haughty look
Where stubby fingers haunt little angels
And the crackling fire-
Laughs in a hyena’s face
When an old lady mumbles
And silence provokes
Where a young girl’s screams
Are all but scattered in the summer breeze
When un-calloused hands
Are capable of unthinkable brutality
Where a mother’s love is all in vain
And a father’s eyes never once seen
When a scarred face
Is all that is left to love
Where a husky voice
In tape, replayed
When love and hatred
Speak a single tongue
Where in a merciless trance
Friends and enemies seem to become one
When smiles are faked
And tears held back
Where red and yellow notes
Are all that matter
When blood trickles with no end
As sticky flesh is sold off
Where chastity loses its validity
And purity is all but history.
Bethamehi Joy Syiem
Class 10, Pine Mount School
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