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A Grain of Mirth: A Poem by Amrita Mallik

A grain of mirth collected from everywhere,
Still couldn’t oust the lingering pain inside me,
What is going wrong I wonder, scratching my head,
Only to hear my shrill cries piercing absolute silence.
How the luminous days turn to scary nightmares,
How the facial curve turns upside down,
Ambling under the burden of guilt and frustration,
The throbbing pain builds its fortress.
May be I should try spells and balms,
Maybe I should learn the art of forgiving,
Perhaps then, the headstrong pain will subside,
And, I can heave a sigh of relief.
The scars may dry and fade fast,
Not the wounds given by a special someone,
A nagging emptiness and a volume of anguish,
Recalcitrant enough to hear not my pleas.
When the color-changing man can’t be evaded,
When you’re coaxed to bear with him,
The notorious pain savors every bit of it,
Conceptualizing a not-go game and performance.