Attrition

By Abhinand Anil

The monsters with no faces struck at dawn,

Kept us captive, like birds in a cage.

We ran away from them like cowards,

With our souls shattered and spirits stunned.

All I heard was approaching dread,

All I felt was mother holding me tight

The ground quaked and rubble spread; dust blinded the windows.

Where are our Gods now? Why aren’t they saving us?

Mother set me down for a moment; my eyes were blinded and ears deafened,

A shell had landed right onto our house.

I managed to crawl my way to mother,

Why isn’t she moving? Why are her eyes wide open?

I felt a hand on my shoulder; I was being taken away.

That day, I knew terror existed everywhere I went.

That day, humanity lost to weaponry.

No longer were we safe, nor free.

They imbued me with vengeance, filled me with rage,

Corrupting my once innocent heart.

Years passed; I am one of them now,

A puppet bound to strings

I traded my humanity for blood on my hands.

Long gone are smiles, longing and redamancy,

The heart yearns freedom, the mind tells otherwise.

Oh, foolish me! What am I babbling on about?

Orders continue to await me.

By Abhinand Anil