If you cannot see the knife
At least imagine it
Carry the idea in your mind
The possibility of an edge
Murderously honed
Wielded in attack
Feel the steel tear you
Consider the possibility
Of a stab wound
Look around you
Watch for edges, for hands
Concealed in pockets, behind
Backs
Listen
Most of all, listen
For the shift in tone
Of voice, the burnished syllables
The stentorian exordium
Beware of these
They hide the blade
Even as they thrust it
Deep in your side
Jayaprakash Satyamurthy lives in Bangalore. He writes various kinds of corporate content for a living. He also writes fiction. He plays the bass guitar for a band and he and his wife Yasmine work for causes they believe in, support hordes of cats and dogs, and each other’s many dreams. Jayaprakash also maintains a sporadic blog at http://aaahfooey.blogspot.com