Photography © Edward S. Gault

 

The Family Thug

the gentleman came round
after forcing General Ershad
to resign

along with a mob of
like-minded toffs

(mundane truth being
the great man was pushed
by western donors,
but myth interests us more)

the gentleman-suitor
– for he was after my sister’s wife –
boasted how he and comrades
beat up
sleepers
with hockey-sticks

chest-thumping got his girl

now, he’s the family thug,
welcome at birthdays, weddings
and – lord! – even religious dos

we forgive the sin
and forget the victim

every family has one

 

Iftekhar Sayeed teaches English. He was born and lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has contributed to The Danforth Review, Axis of Logic, Enter Text, Postcolonial Text, The Fear of Monkeys and other publications. He is also a freelance journalist. He and his wife love to travel.

Edward S. Gault is a poet and fine art photographer. He lives at Mosaic Commons, a co-housing community in Berlin, Ma.