By Subhadeep Santra
Do not give me hope
Hope is a restless child
Keeping me on my toes
But despair is calm
Aloof in the dark
Quiet, not peeping into the light
But hope would sprint
Between light and dark
His feet banging against the floor
Not letting me rest in peace
Do not give me hope
Hope is a deciduous tree
That has shed all its leaves
Beneath it, I struggle for shade
But despair is a crumpled leaf
With no promise to endure
I hold it before my eyes
Waiting for it to break away
But I fear I shall fall asleep
Before it crumbles to the ground
Do not give me hope
Hope is like a cacophony
Erupting like a volcano
In the world beyond the bars
But within these confinements
Death is a mother
She hums a melodious lullaby
Renouncing all agonies and woes
I dissolve into her sedative smile
As the noose tightens around my neck