18 Partition of Hearts Poem by Moniza Alvi

They called it the Partition of Hearts,
this dark side of Independence.

Blame the British, blame Congress,
blame Nehru, blame Jinnah.

But what was the point?

They called it the Partition of Hearts.

Yet connections had not been broken,
not quite -

between Pakistan and India
the living and the dead

the families and the missing
the people and themselves.

They called it the Partition of Hearts -
this Partition of reinforced glass.