The Eclipse Poem by manju prasannan pillai

in his large eyes
an eclipse
has already begun.
for a brief
eternity,
shadows shall gnaw
at him.
his blood
shall
run into a viscous
trickle
and flames shall
devour
his innards.
he is learning
to walk, to talk:
baby prattle
and so much more.
his mother keeps away
ashamed of her breasts,
two dried,
shrivelled grapes
his father's
lungs
are albatross wings.

he plays on a sand pile
waiting for the hunger
to ease
but
it shall be a while
for the serpent eclipse
to swallow him whole
manju prasannan pillai