claims and claimants

so you claimed friendship
as if it were a mere ritual
all you did was break bread together
even then only the ones allowed

or claimed you had sat and talked
but such guarded lines stood at impasse
sure claiming we shared it all
but our bread and daughters never crossed

what kind of friendship was this?
where suspicions stood ready at the door
guarding your purity that one so frail
and your gods offended at every drop

an idol became an insult
a slight touch was a fatal defiling
who can claim a kinship then
with all at ready for an easy killing

what kinds of gods are these
that only accept the other's blood
so decades old friendship became
nothing but a shallow house of mud

own up to the petty slave you are
to your unyielding god's fiery calls
and maybe then you'll readily smash
your narrow faith's mighty walls...


--
reena
may 24th 2016

"we always had muslim friends, i don't know how the killing began or why it happened....we never discriminated..."