Megasthenes’ Grin

You are stuffing gunpowder into

the silent cannon

All by yourself. Now that the winter is over

Why do you stuff gunpowder

Into the silent cannon?

I wonder:

Is Megasthenes' grin also

Megasthenes?

Within this power-operated

Charade

Brown horses fly

—Engines rumbling and robots

coughing by.

Are you still stuffing gunpowder

into the silent cannon?

Jewel Mazhar is a poet and translator.