One chasing Friday afternoon
When the sun was burning, a day turned cold
He fell unmarked where school paths crossed.
Books were scattered and marked in red,
He murmured a sigh in breaking breaths

In fleeing footsteps a silence broke
By the creaking window a sigh was crying
The kid had fallen and the marksman fled
In frozen copies some lessons untaught
Some homework pending, a home distraught
The neat combed hair sliced in two
Like a love heart cut and torn apart

In broken fences a playfield deserted,
Some mothers chased the killers afar
The wolves were fleeing in armors of war
An afternoon had folded to an early night
Children receding to the invaders fright

A father collapsed by the awaiting door
As squares filled up in revolting mute

The corpse was held as a bargain to voice
The killer unabashed set a price to the shroud
The day was awake to a relentless dark
And the angleface claimed to eternal sleep

As the sleeping awoke to insurrected roars
The kids scattered in a hundred graveyards

 

(In memory of Tufail Mattoo 11th June 2010)

 

~S~

11th June, 2013