Black Bird
Now I take retreating steps, As I watch the sky Filled with the aroma of freedom, Cherished but unfound. Death brings me closer to the clouds, As I am freed from the age-old hue and cry. As I was alive, I had a wish to fly. But I was caught between two tight fists, As my eyes looked at a deriding gaze. I was a bird, as black as a night, Shrieking with fright. The deriding gaze hated my colour As my sharp claws pierced through the fingers. In us, the blood is still red, Yet it is sheer hatred which lingers. As I fly high, crossing the boundaries of what we call civilization, I leave behind a black hole of hatred and lies. Meanwhile, death takes a toll. As the world narrates the saga of Phoenix, I still take a look into my soul.
Sangeeta Banerjee
Sangeeta Banerjee is a literary enthusiast and she has completed M.A. in English from University of Calcutta (College Street Campus) and B.Ed. from Shri Shikshayatan College. She is currently associated with Heritage Academy as a full-time English faculty. She is an active member of the Intercultural Poetry and Performance Library, Kolkata. Her works have been published in numerous journals and magazines. She is the author of the book “Trifling Metaphors: Verses From a Chaotic Soul” (2021).