The Oblation
It lasted for seven minutes, A hush, a bluff, a thrust, in and out It is all the rage to grope, fondle, maul. The boy was told in the strangest time, It was a service to God. A libation to the Almighty, a nine year old.
The moment lasted for ten seconds For the humble sheep, the shepherd was All that they looked out for. Your sins are unforgivable, said the pastor Bend over; maybe I can pardon The fall from Grace. Else, the depths of damnation.
A blind search for clemency. The velvety touch of the Ferraiolo Still gives me the chills As I tie the rope around my throat, to meet the Holy Light and To ask him Why Did I have to hold the thurible, As he flushed me by the altar.
Kunal Panda
Kunal Panda is an Economics Honours student at Hindu College, carrying with him the spice of Konkan Kombdi Vade with the simplicity of Oriya Chhena. He is an ardent reader of classic literature, from Homer and Virgil to the heart-warming passages of Emily Bronte. He is trying to find his calling in the hidden maze of the written word and somewhere along the line, the one with whom he can share his love for the same.