War

A powerful and poignant protest poem, by Rituparna, exclusively for Different Truths.

Why should not I if I have that power?
It is my nature to steal and snatch.
Record fails to keep records of
misdeeds I have created since
ages. 

I have stolen and snatched. Yes, I have,
Abhimanyu from his Uttara’s arms,
Achilles from his mother’s bosom,
Vikram Batra from his beloved,
Manoj Gupta from his son,
and many more. 

I was, I am, I will be the burning forever 
evidence to so many deaths and so
many cries of the hapless mothers,
clueless orphans, widowed wives,
deserted beloveds.
 
I find sadist pleasure to destroy, to disrupt,
to dissociate, to distort, to devastate,
to disembark life from the living,
sense from the sensible, love
from feelings.
 
I am the stepchild of life, her own is peace.
But war and peace, together we exist.
I am that negativity who turns every
positive to ruins. I love the way
I am. Yes, eternal war I am.

Poet’s note: Achilles, Abhimanyu, Vikram Barra, Manoj Gupta are mythological, historical and war heroes and martyrs.

Visual by Different Truths