After earning the day’s honest living,
They rejoiced as they headed home.
Thoughts on the family waiting,
On the home-cooked meal,
They innocently joked and laughed.
Suddenly their joy was cut short
By a brutal burst of bullets,
From guns held by their own brothers.
Intelligence gone wrong
That was the reason given.
The intelligence to look before firing,
Intelligence to check before ordering,
The intelligence not to fan the flames,
The intelligence to let emotions
Die down before retaliating.
Yes, intelligence went haywire
On that sad day.
R.G. Lyngdoh is a former Home Minister of Meghalaya, and author of Who the Cap Fits.
Featured illustration: The Wire