Mustachioed Napoleon
Kalashnikov-bearing Narcissus,
Stands on his balcony, waves
Proclaims his potency
Knowing he is but a puffer fish.
The coalescing crowd
Becomes a famished tiger shark.
He must depart, fade into shadow
Or blood that flows
Will no longer spring from innocents
But from his pump that counts its mortal days.
Even uniformed lackeys stand aside
Listen as harmonic voice of millions
Rises in unison, crescendos,
Pries the strongman’s fingers from his weapon.
Let sentiment engrave in stone
Collective Will and Testament.
Mukund Gnanadesikan’s poetry and short stories have been published in Adelaide Literary Magazine, Ayaskala, The Bangalore Review, Calliope on the Web, The Cape Rock, Tuck Magazine, Junto Magazine, Meniscus Literary Journal, Blood and Thunder, Poets’ Choice, and Dream Noir, among others. His first novel Errors of Omission is due out in fall of 2020 from Adelaide Books. He lives in Napa, CA, where he practices psychiatry.