Deeply Scarred

There was no sky over your
head. You sidestep the lake
and drown in a stream.

After carpet bombing of
scars, you missed the moon
and skimmed by
virtue of birth.

Lifting the stony vices
for thanksgiving. A puppet─
dies on a string. Nobody
claims the body.

Mistrust runs deep. You
will not ride the tiger─
again. The urn contains the
ashes of blue eyes.

Satish Verma