He gripped the stick in an iron fist
Brandishing it
On terrified kids.
One young boy caught his eye
by his clothes
easily identified.
They’re not one of us, they’re different
most likely to be miscreants
scare them into oblivion.
On those orders, in furious strides
he struck the young man on the spine
and watched him fall with a shrieking cry.
The boy’s face hit the concrete floor
bruised forehead and bloodied nose,
writhing in pain from the raining blows.
Suddenly to the boys’ surprise,
the beating stopped and the older man’s eyes
teared up because he finally knew
The young boy’s blood was red too.
Sanjana Saksena Chandra is a marketer by profession, a published poet and an aspiring novelist.
Featured image credit: Pariplab Chakraborty