Just a Slice of Peace

by Ananya S. Guha / June 8th, 2025

I raise a finger
Is it death or war
Why will the sirens
Call, if there is no bombing
Territorial attacks?
What is war then
Dismembered bodies
In shanty towns?
I remember as a child
We had rehearsals, running
To the trenches, simulating
War,
Does war need to be acted
Rehearsed, as today long distance
Missiles can cause the jeopardy
Of doom?
1962 or 65 when we rehearsed
For war, with the sirens call
There was black out
Now they fight it out in Gaza Strip
Russia or Ukraine, the borders of
Kashmir,
I for one, want just a slice of peace.

Ananya S Guha lives in Shillong in North East India, where he was born and brought up. He has been writing and publishing his poetry for the last forty years. His poetry has been published in both electronic and print formats such as: Indian Literature, Other Voices, Osprey Journal, Glasgow Review, The Literary Nest, Up The Staircase, Asia Writes, Art Arena, Praxis Online, Muse India, Your One Phone Call, In Between Hangovers, The Peeking Cat Magazine, Post Colonial Text among others. He has also written widely on educational and social matters. He has ten collections of poetry and his poetry has been anthologized in various collections of Indian poetry in English. He holds a doctoral on the novels of William Golding. Read other articles by Ananya S..

This article was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.