Shyamanga Barooah

LOCKDOWN BLUES

I light a cigarette
And stare at the empty openness
From the tiny balcony
Unable to offer a visible smile

In the children's park
The fallen leaves dance with the breeze
The stray pups play, undisturbed
Trampling the sticks and stones

Smoke from my cigarette vanishes
In the intense emptiness
The guards stand exposed and helpless
The battle for space is only beginning