a war movie, enacted~
terrible bombs
gunfire blast galore 
deaf-dumb pals
talk aloud.

Note~

I remember UnniKrishnan known to all as Pottan (Malayalam slang for “one who can’t hear or talk” which also means an “idiot”) from my coffeehouse days. I learnt a little sign language from him. In fact I learnt his name through his sign language. Most people forgot that he had a real name. He was a healthy bearded man who could do all odd jobs and he was an assistant to my friend Balan a mechanical wizard (an ex IAF pilot). Balan tells me that UnniKrishnan was an instinctive genius with the eye! I also remember a group of deaf-dumb friends who used to meet regularly in coffeehouse and chat exuberantly in sign language. This one is based on my experience of their presence.

This poem is dedicated to these unknown friends and to UnniKrishnan who passed away a few years ago.