Black

Black, Recent Version

A 

Resolute colour,

That signifies beauty,

Of mind and body.

Opposite

Of white,

That juxtaposes peace,

A paradox of life.

A

Racist slur

On skin pigment.

Rescind this weird view.

Image,

Of reverence,

In Kali's dance,

Or, Salabeg's Jagannath recital.

An

Empty board

To impart knowledge

That remains after erasure.

Burqa:

Veiled presence

Reminding Rawlsian prism.

On subjugation and freedom.

Black, Earlier Version

For some, it is a colour.

A colour that signifies beauty,

Of body, mind and heart.

For some, it is opposite of white.

Thereby juxtaposing peace.

A paradox to live and let live.

For some, it is a racist slur.

Linking people to their skin pigment.

A weird view that be put to rest.

For some, it is reverence.

In dance of Kali with Shiva

Or, Salabeg's call to Jagannath.

For some, it is an empty board.

To connect teacher with taught.

If, when erased, knowledge is not lost.

For some, it is a veiled dress, burqa,

Reminding one of the Rawlsian prism,

To debate on subjugation and freedom. 

[Note: I have written two versions of a poem, Black. Both the versions have six stanzas each. In the recent version, the stanza has four lines with the lines having one, two, three and four words, respectively. The earlier version has three lines in each stanza.]

© Srijit Mishra, 10 August 2019