An Identity Equation

On the left hand side
liberty, equality, fraternity were added up to form
a fiery red revolutionary face
multiplied by dreams of rights, reforms, progress
for the sake of power they chase.
As they imprisoned the heavy ideals with red hardcovers,
like the brackets always in pair,
after division of their revolution by the empty promises
all that survived was their chair.

On the right hand side
authority, hierarchy, duty paraded in a row to build
a dream nationalist state
divided into one who can fight to survive, and
the one left to fate.
As they subtracted freebies from the masculine pride
that dictated not to share,
after the multiplication of hunger pushed people away
all that survived was their chair.

Probal Basak, 35, from India, started his career as a journalist working with Press Trust of India, Business Standard covering mostly socio-political issues. His first collection of poems 'Flakes of Time' was published by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters. Probal, a writer and translator, writes poetry and his works have been published in literary journals like Rust+Moth, The New Verse News, Dissident Voice, Spillwords, Asian Signature. Read other articles by Probal.