Anarkali
©May 16, 2014
By Vijaya Sundaram
Brick upon brick upon brick,
Piled higher and higher
And you, within walls.
Suffocation looms.
But only when mortar’s added.
So, confound them!
Distract them.
Pretend there’s mortar
At this spot and that one,
Insert grey spaces there,
Magic can work.
Pretend to die,
And when they’ve left,
Find those grey spots,
Prise the bricks out, and then
Remove them all,
One after another.
Now, scatter them around you,
Hurl them at the sky
Dash them to the earth
Hurl one at the fabled city,
And run for your life.
Perhaps your Salim awaits.
Perhaps not.
Who cares?
You are beholden to no prince.
You do not need him.
You, pomegranate blossom,
Bearer of many seeds
Encased with blood,
Sweet and tart
Is your life.
Escape!
Sweetness calls.
Life wails aloud.
Freedom cries out.
Burst the skin!
Scatter yourself to the four winds.
Somewhere, a sweeter life
Will grasp at soil, take root.
And you will be whole again.
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