The City In Flames Poem by Anuradha Bhattacharyya

You can survive
The re-enactment of a trauma
Felt in the past;
You can go about three minutes without air;

The city is in flames
Throwing up the acid lurched
At the Other;
It dissipates the struggles of hardworking men;

The haggling millions
Each day pray to awaken
In virtual reality,
To find a new feeling of well-being;

You can survive
Weeks without food, without water,
In the sun, the wind,
With insects, in the rain, in hot or cold temperatures;

A shelter can protect you -
But nothing
Takes precedence
Over your need for a safe environment.