It gets lonely in echo chambers

So many of us are not present

In your mind
When you claim to re-present us

We do not know
How to address you,
How to write you letters
That begin with a "dear",
An "Hon'ble".

You who rule by fear,
Don't you feel like knowing what it is like to be ruled by love?
You speak for us
But not to us.

If you do not learn how to converse
Our listening too-
The listening of those who did not receive a hearing-
Would be one that is not listening
But only waiting for you to stop talking.
And we would not wait forever,
It gets late even as we speak.

First published in Radius, 30 Sep 2017. 

Cartographers

Such a pretty map we have
Some want to change that
Irritants.
But it’s ok, it’s all under control now
We have foiled the attempts at redrawing
Some collateral happened.
They get really dark lead from somewhere, bonded too
2B or not, who knows?
The pencil marks have to be rubbed off hard
Here and there, the paper tore a bit.
But it’s ok, it’s all under control now.

First published in Indian Cultural Forum, July 2016.