Debasis Tripathy
A BUZZ IN THE EARS
All-day, in my ears I had a buzz
boring into my skull, tirelessly
chopping on like an electric ax,
droning on for hours, ultraslow—
execution in slo-mo by a Kalashnikov
firing madcap, unwilling to bid me adieu,
grinding on and on, no rules, no time limit.
Heavy-Heavy mammoths
in dirty cerebrospinal water
jostling for space, on the BBQ—
keeps grilling, treadmilling non-stop.
Lasting exertion on the nervous system, so
mind bears a mutation, an abecedarian
note of new frequency erupts, a hymn, a hum
oscillates as if it's a sequel
prolonging in an endless tunnel, an attack
quite as enduring as the British Raj.
Ruling and raping from the center and on all radii—
seldom any resistance, fears of the backlash;
the attempt at escape to freedom: a misgiving,
unimaginable consequences, a fortress foolproof,
vanquished and venerating masses as a tame
wolf, clipped claws, and teeth smashed.
Xenophobia and nationalism - merely intellectualistic.
Yearning foolishly for privileges can be a spiderweb,
zigzagged with torrents of torment. Open the umbrella
Endure till the showers of suffering stop.