Trumpet

Sanjeev Sethi

Brutality isn’t only a gunshot or a lance in a rib cage.

Syllables of severity drum their beat when you rest

your leg on the table, and the sole of your shoe faces

me. Sharpness is when I shift to gear four on the gab

meter, and you stand up in service to errands. Fury is

when, sans bloodshed, blood flows. Violence is when

daylight thrusts itself between us, and we dwell on it.

Published in Issue No. 9, Animus Opus, June 3rd, 2025.

Sanjeev Sethi has authored eight books of poetry. His poetry has been published in over thirty-five countries and has appeared in more than 500 journals, anthologies, and online literary venues. He edited Dreich Planet #1 India, an anthology for Hybriddreich, Scotland. He is the joint winner of the Full Fat Collection Competition-Deux, organized by Hedgehog Poetry Press, UK. He lives in Mumbai, India. X @sanjeevpoems3 || Instagram sanjeevsethipoems ||