Silent Ways

I yelled and yelled madly in the state that was ‘not me’
But the devil comes out at the drop of a hat.
I ask him, why, why, why – does he do that?
I get no reply
I’m met with silence.

He stands there speechless, eyes silent.
His lack of words maddens me.
All he holds up is silence.
Allowing the devil in me pass
knowing it is ‘not me’
but comes out at the silliest things.

Understanding, it is ‘not me’ is kindness.
It is kindness alone that can wash away the devil.

I want to throw the devil far away
into the lit skies of dawn.
Never to return.

Subhana is a writer and poet. Her work has featured in The Partition museum Amritsar, Museum of material memory, Kintsugi flash fiction Volume 1 (Edited by Abha Iyenger). Her poem ‘The Wilderness in me’ was listed in the Belgavi poetry festival 2022. She has authored a collection of poems titled ‘Pebbles on the beach’. The poems delve into the mystical and soul searching journey of the poet.
She writes short stories that are both non- fiction and fiction. She is also an amateur photographer and naturalist. She loves seeing birds through the lens. She lives in Mumbai.