Amygdala
the sound of a hooter
comes from the very depth
of my brain gorge
like a skyward red alert
coming from a city street
mystique with night lights
as we see in a Hollywood film
is it a police car chasing
or an ambulance
or is it my own amygdala
scouting for new images
of unmitigated death?
the gong of my tears
raises a spectre of hell
but the water has
no quality of redemption.
Traffic
a set of gnashing teeth
is on the tail of a holy cow
holier than thou
and looking like a beak
in the company of prig
shining after morning brush
and flaunting, like fun
as if brighter than the sun
the point of crossing
is a level of attrition
where the upper and the lower
meet in a civil war
over who will take
a malicious peck
a racist dig
to put off the other
and get ahead.
Bishnupada Ray is an Associate Professor of English at the University of North Bengal, West Bengal, India. His poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies including Indian Literature, New Quest, Makata, Brown Critique, Muse India, Shabdaguchha, Revival, VerbalArt, Phenomenal Literature, The Challenge and A Hudson View. He won a Pushcart Prize nomination in 2009.
