Judgment Day

There's a reason why the narrow often accompanies the straight;
The path can give its travellers a stiff gait.

If only one dared to steer,
What earlier seemed queer

Would appear as the same blackbird that can be seen
In ways no fewer, if not more, than thirteen.

So before pronouncing judgment on your equal born
Tell me if you see the same face in the mirror every morn.

*In response to the Supreme Court of India judgment, 11 December 2013, upholding section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality.

First published in Writers Asylum, 13 December 2013.