They tell me to define
me and my purpose
in terms of my God
and sanctify
what I eat, sing or pray
till I conform
to a congregation
of similar impervious thoughts
sitting at edge with another-
both seeking God and His blessings
to nurture and reinforce
dissimilarity and containment.

Soon it is them and us
standing at borders
of shrinking middle ground.

Them and us-
bleeding across fenced islands
with no scope to forgive and forget.

(Written at the time of 2002 Gujarat riots)