The sky’s eyes fluttered in hues of red
Like it’s ashamed of what it saw,
Instead of tears
Hope falls
It shatters,
It crumbles.
Every night, the mothers hum a distant song
Not a lullaby but a warning
Because honestly, no one knows what is in store for the morning.
The stars refuse to show,
Because even they don’t know
For how long will the city be mourning?
The news flashes on TV screens, “No loss,” they say
But count the cost,
Of nights of fear and childhood lost,
Lost in the darkness of the night
They can’t even whisper because of fright.
Jammu is crying every night
It’s laughter replaced by fright
Nothing to guide its people back home.
This land is not a trophy,
How long will it take for people to know?
How much blood needs to be shed?
For people to let it go!?
Jammu is crying every night,
But it is not only fright,
This time, everyone will know its fury carved in its weary bones
Her screams carry a silent war cry in shattered tones.
KP