An intense poem by Poornima, in Different Truths, that talks of the territorial nature of man, and more

Have you seen a marked territory?
A border that defines what is yours and what is mine
A chalk line that you ought to be careful about
Memorise it in your head all the time

A border -
It can cost you poems, protests, wars within
And lives - charred, burnt, raped, disfigured, pelleted

You drew a thin border for me
So thin that I could feel your breath against mine
A border like a heart line on the black monitor
Offering clarity between existent and not
But then you had one line for everything in your life
Faces, relationships, poets, pennies
The fine lines often smudged and blurred and overlapped
And you fell out of proportion
Scarred, bruised and even broken

You were so watchful about the border with me all the while
The problem was I stumbled into you.

Picture design Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Poornima Laxmeshwar

Poornima Laxmeshwar resides in the garden city Bangalore and works as a content writer for a living.