Red

​Under 12 numbers,
Lie four words
Four words lie
In English, they mean
My Aadhar, My identity.
In red, instead.
They stand
Out
Aadhar, Proof, Root, Basis
Initiated by Congress, it was in power
Loudly opposed by BJP
Lovingly adopted by BJP, it is in power
Loudly opposed by Congress
One wonders, the ‘basis’ of all this tamashe
This himse
The joke is on you, my friend
and definitely on me
A heart that beats 2,733,120,000 times
In the 66 years
That I can expect to live
Measured in 12 numbers
Arranged in a unique combination.
More unique than
A life time of stories
A lifetime of stories
Brought down to four words
But actually, just one
In red, red, red, red

by Anish Victor

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