By Shadab Zeest Hashmi
12.12.12
Stairs vanish before bloodstains come
Before the bullet
or the boot on the dead boy’s shin
he has long been taken
by ghosts passing in lockstep
No slumping
or labored last breath but a sack
of brown sugar
on the bakery’s doorstep
Birthdays here are dice
rolled and collected
before the gun wound
and guffaw
The boy— seventeen today
never pales
He is all cream
candlelight
and the camera’s kiss
Note: “At around 7:30 pm on Wednesday, 12 December 2012, a soldier of the Israeli army shot dead Mohammad Salayme, killing him with two bullets to the body and head in the Salayme neigbourhood of Hebron near to the Ibrahimi mosque. Mohammad had spent the day in school and was on his way to buy some cake for him and his family to celebrate his birthday…” reported Team Khalil.
P U L S E 
shadab, a powerful and deep poem, one of the best you’ve ever written, from your heart and soul. salaam, dr. hamod