Shattered Image of Mother

By Dibyendu Maiti

A mother sits, amidst ruin's chill,

Falcons swoop, a haunting thrill,

Her baby's lifeless form, a crimson stain,

Eternal peace, in death's cold reign.

Blood drips slowly, onto the ground,

A colony of ants, gathers round,

Torn clothes, a reflection of her plight,

Hopeless eyes, in a desolate night.

Smoke curls distant, dogs snarl and fight,

Over lifeless bodies, in a macabre sight,

A beggar approaches, with outstretched hand,

The mother gazes, with a stony stand.

Then looks at her child, and makes a dire choice,

Offers the dead baby, a heart-wrenching voice,

The beggar accepts, with a shocked, pale face,

And walks away, with a heavy, sorrowful pace.

By Dibyendu Maiti