One thumbed her eyes
   till 
       they seemed to come out.
 
One held the knot with both hands
   sliding
       to find the point of crucifixion.

One stood at the back
with fingers planted like spider’s arms
all over the face. 

They all looked up into the sky
   till 
       the white below their iris became too visible. 

All through the session 
the dog had its snout on the red rag
under the foot of the Principal’s wife.

It watched gray skirts passing in a flurry of haze
and watched stolid faces of flat-nosed girls.
It also sensed in the background
great masses of wood.


© 2008 by Arun Gaur. All rights reserved.