Under this Chinar

Under this Chinar
my faith hanged herself
death slipped a suicide note
scorching the petals of saffron
leaving a lonely prayer mat
and a line of control
as faith for our children

Under this Chinar
lies the battered body of my young hope
face down in a ditch
tricolour dreams floating in the lake
chasing the houseboats
too distant to serve as beacons
to steer by

Under this Chinar
my injured heart in a sling
wandered into the wrong house
for a glass of water
and saw empty beer bottles
hanging shamelessly
from the barbed wire on the fence

Under this Chinar
purple green snakes
too busy with their foreplay
made the valley shade her skin
and her memories
leaving two generations of lies
trapped in a box of poisoned apples.