Limbo Poem by Lalithashree Ganesh

Stuck in time,
Fixed to uncertainty
They walk together
Step by step, breath by breath
Nothing to quench their thirst upon
Not a morsel to touch their tongues.

They come together
As one
'Where do we go? ' they ask
The voice on the microphone
Makes no promises
The canes leave marks
On their tired bodies
Sapping their souls and grasping their faith.

Neither here nor there
Everywhere and nowhere
Just another statistic, nothing more
No address, no bank account
Nothing to their name

And you spray them with disinfectant
Like you do to insects

Confused. Fearful. Hungry.

They lie down
In the street,
on the grass in the parks

Waiting

Waiting

Waiting

Limbo.
Limbo in the body entire.

The sun goes down slowly
They hear loud rumbling growing

What's all that noise?
Hunger hunger hunger...

Limbo.
Nowhere to run

Limbo.
Nothing to reach for

Limbo.
Is anyone coming for us

Limbo.
Don't take forever

Limbo.