Home by Rollie Mukherjee: a tribute to Kashmiri freedom fighters

Home by Rollie Mukherjee

Another tribute to Kashmir by Rollie Mukherjee who posted it with this poem titled “Home” by Omair Bhat.

It has a particular poignancy since Kashmiri children are reporting distress at being forced indoors, now for 87 days, as a result of the curfew & indiscriminate use of weapons & also because the Indian army is conducting night raids into homes to arrest youth whilst minimizing witnesses & opposition to their aggression.
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HOME
Home, a small house in a
small town, I hear
that you have fallen cold
tonight. In your arms
autumn has frozen
stars to death.
From home to only desolate
hollow of an empty grave now,
your shiver has picked up
on poor
farmer’s house,
a blacksmith’s
house, sad
sad house, small and blue in
the night,
and made it shudder with
fear.
Your shingles no more
shine
like silver of the moon,
the tusks of your windows
are
breaking like ice on water. Your rivers
have ran dry. Your
predilection
for infinite love has wilted
away. Tonight,
In your silence I hear
motherless
children weep. I hear
that your pain has stirred
dead of our nameless
country. What cure
must I invent to
hold you together? What
prayer must I
say to not let you
fall apart ?