Soil, Soul and the Sea

A Poem

Photo by Ibrahim Rifath on Unsplash

Compatriots
lined up
to offer their
souls
and a sea

I held on to my lake

Red reflections
of life
Red reflections
of birth
Red reflections
of their sea

pushed the frontiers of my lake

Three stripes of India
stood as animals
of intense power
with intense fear

as great columns at the center of my lake

“you can now kiss girls”
“you can now kiss girls”
“you can …” — the third one struggled

the borders of my lake were tight

but, in that
was water
fluid, reflective
even intelligent
In that
was age old soil
sitting wisely at the
bottom —
rhythmically breathing

The country lived
transformed
Souls transferred
to weeds and structures
The sea became a
burial ground of
lost people

My lake remained protected by encircling forest

~