White haze has gorged on the blue of skies
The dust of bones under rubble
Of forgotten cities and people
Who wanted to survive.
The blood spilt spews out ,
Of the drenched unyielding ground
That saturated, broken,
could hold no more.
Red drops floating up
Borne by the thickened air,
Red clouds colouring
The sun’s demise.
Soumita Bhattacharya lives in Bangalore, India, and carves out moments of creativity in her life as a mother, teacher, and caregiver. Her work explores themes of identity, grief, and what it means to be human in an increasingly polarised world, keeping her feminine perspective at the heart of her writing.