Heart of Ruin- अरुण कोलटकर

The roof comes down on Maruti's head.
Nobody seems to mind.
Least of all Maruti himself
May be he likes a temple better this way.
A mongrel bitch has found a place
for herself and her puppies
in the heart of the ruin.
May be she likes a temple better this way.
The bitch looks at you guardedly
Past a doorway cluttered with broken tiles.
The pariah puppies tumble over her.
May be they like a temple better this way.
The black eared puppy has gone a little too far.
A tile clicks under its foot.
It's enough to strike terror in the heart
of a dung beetle
and send him running for cover
to the safety of the broken collection box
that never did get a chance to get out
from under the crushing weight of the roof beam.
No more a place of worship this place
is nothing less than the house of god.


-अरुण कोलटकर