The bicycle

Dedicated to Baqar, the 11 year old who made the mistake of going to the market when the devil paid a visit to Abbas Town

It was a Sunday
Preparing for school
Doing homework
Playing with neighbors
Suddenly I wanted chips
The ones Ahmed bhai fries
Each evening.
The smell beckoned,
With a pocket full of jingling coins
I ran down to get me a box
Of those sizzling, spicy fries.
Suddenly there were flames
On my shirt
In my hair
I thought to myself
How cool, I'm ablaze
But it started to hurt
So I lay down
I saw my home had been blown
Like a faceless monster
With gaping teeth
It looked back at me
It's eyes an inferno
So tell my mom
I cannot come home
It is not there any more
But my brother's bicycle
Is hanging from the terrace
Do take it inside mom
For when it rains
It'll get all wet.