By Vidya Hariharan
They took away the knives,
The scissors, the forks,
The matchbox, lighters, candles,
Hammer, nails, tape,
Ropes, ribbons, bottles
Made of glass, metal jars,
My dog, my children.
For safekeeping --
So they said.
You can have them back
Anytime you want
As long as you
Learn to walk, not fly
To speak, not scream,
To kiss, not bite,
To look, not stare,
To blink, not wink,
In short, not die, not live.
Exist, having expunged.
Vidya Hariharan is an avid reader, traveller, poet and teacher. Currently she resides in Mumbai, India.
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