Bloodthirst

Francisco Goya

This is bloodthirst.

That will end only after genocide

Bravado in being passive yet somehow the more aggressive force

Bravado of decades 

Placed into the hearts

Doctrined into the identity 

This is bloodthirst

From 1971 and earlier

No amount of propoganda 

Whether Gandhi’s exposed by Modi 

Or

Modi’s unwittingly exposed by Modi

Can end until there’s a guilt as aftermath

This is bloodthirst 

It may have started 

Forever ago passing and passing as

Trojans versus Greeks

Or 

Whites versus Coloureds

Until post war Germans faced guilt

Where will it go after Hindu-Muslims?

This is bloodthirst

Godhra, Burning Train, 1857

Pahalgam leads to Sindoor

Leads to something else

Why would either side end?

Because current military leaders learnt 

Something?

New ways to boast bravado

But what of the child with a teacher shouting grape?

What of the saffron revenge or the recitals needed?

It’s not collective

It stems perhaps from personal frustrations 

Zoomed out further and further till

This is bloodthirst

For any and all others

This is bloodthirst 

For whom?