On the birth of a deformed set of twins, reported in the newspapers on 18 November 1971. While doctors were debating how to separate the infants, the twins died. The analogy is with the West-East Pakistan conflict. White robed angelic orders revealed


Its presence, from mortal eyes concealed


a vision of cold omen, congealed


in expectation.





“Blessed art thou ! From they chosen spawn


shall comforting word in flesh be born,


to unite the faithful, at present torn


in dissension.





The twin-bud shame, the cloven thorn


laughed and cried at once, as if to warn


a cleft nation, already self-sworn


to self-destruction.





Two separate minds were crucified


To selfishness, as brother denied


Existence to another. Both died


without salvation.





O, hateful womb! Does warped infancy


Carry dark messages for humanity?


Do we have time to save ourselves


through fraternal reconciliation?





[Unpublished.]