War Zone
written by: Viji Narayan
A mother writes the identity number
On the hand of her young child,
No, her child is not going to school,
Like many mothers there, whose hearts
Are in tatters due to the
Heavy rock they carry inside it
She too writes the number
With a bleeding heart
And
Dry eyes
Just in case!
A young woman is holding on
To the lifeless body
Of her five-year-old niece wrapped
In a white cloth,
She has just lost
Her mother, sister, and her lovely niece
In the recent firing,
She cannot let go of
The body of that little munchkin,
The photographer who documents her grief
Wins an international award!
Oh, I do not know what this war is about
Nor will I ever understand
How can a war ever be justified?
This war might end one day
That land will be robbed of
Its women and children,
Treaties might be signed,
Leaders might shake hands,
Every one of them
Knowing in their heart
Who paid the price for that war
Maybe they would spend
The rest of their life
With downcast eyes
For
It would be hard for them to
Look into the eyes
Of a woman or a child!
- War Zone - May 17, 2026
- Spotlight On Writers – Viji Narayan - April 4, 2026
- I Am Not Superstitious - January 24, 2026
