Jaw

Samyasathee Bhowmik

When the sky bleeds
And the mountain floods
When rivers freeze and
Gardens deaden in snow
I fear, my intestines will weaken
The muscles of my jaw.

Strength of my jaw, vital on a planet
Where everything runs raw
And we get to bite stone
We get to drink straw
Be it blood or marrow
Be it liquid or solid
We swallow anything that is raw
Anything that resembles straw…

Once I drank red from my mother’s breast
Growing old is simply a change of taste
I get to swallow anything that resembles tears
Anything that resembles flesh

The finest uniform I am clad in,
Fails to hide the nakedness of my head
Yes, I am naked, I am naked
Amidst sea of dresses

When I claim, here’s the tale of a man
Nature stares at me with an awe
Humble question flourishes in the mind
Can you see or was there any who once saw?