Amit Parmessur

He Believes He’s American


I hate this white, red and blue flag
floating high in the sky of my mind.
I’ve never been to any school
to learn about its possible ramifications.
I live in a jungle where I can’t
rule despite being a muscular lion.

Every night, I grope for meaning
below a million brilliant sweet stars.
I think of the white as a pure butterfly,
and as the shroud of my erratic life.
This white is also my wife, on whom
I want to cheat every midnight.

I think of the red as bloody charlatans,
and as the flower of a passion I’ve had to sell.
This red is also the future which
has robbed my sinews of present and past.

I think of the blue as a powerful bullet,
and the missing part of my dream suicide.
This blue is also my unborn child,
because of whom I am called a eunuch.

And, when all the colors in the world
tango and tangle in my blind, brittle heart,
I have more of the blues every black night.

I feel I am burning religiously in hell
and have to hate all the heavenly apes
trying hard to outwit my ignorance.

Born in 1983, Amit Parmessur lives with his black cat nowadays. Since 2010, his poems have appeared in more than 100 literary magazines. His book on blog Lord Shiva and other poems has also been published by The Camel Saloon. He is nominated for the Pushcart Award and lives in Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius. As long as he gets published, he knows he is on the right track.