Tejaswinee Roychowdhury
Prophesy
One day, a tree will wear barbed wire for a crown
because a little boy will have tossed a seed
into the land between nations.
One day, roots will puncture marbled parliaments,
and legislative halls will be home
to a pair of Bengal tigers.
One day, bridges will be grape vines,
and tombs—rose bushes.
One day, certificates will be repurposed to pen love letters,
and paper currency shredded to confetti.
One day, we will learn there is no chaos in wilderness,
but emancipation in letting go.
One day, we will dance till dusk and dine at dawn,
and gaze at galaxies with a friend or a parent
or a cat invested in fireflies.
One day, we will forgive and mother each other;
step outside chalk circles and put a toe, a foot, in another
to see what the world looks like to a neighbour.
One day, gun barrels will hold lotuses,
and dismantled grenades will be wind chimes.
One day, constellations will mimic a human kiss,
and we will all be shooting stars rebuilding the universe.
This day will be born of choices—
yours and mine.
First published in Amity: Peace Poems, a print-only anthology edited by Sahana Ahmed and published by Hawakal Publishers from India.