A POEM ON WAR

LANDS SUFFERING A WAR

Oh the sadness of the place which was known for its honeyed loveliness, has now been marked with cruelty and it is undergoing a deep state of grief

The boots and the beasts crumple its dignity, and it is unfit for humans to dwell here,

The temples, mosques, and churches which used to reverberate with the sacred melodies and solidarity now echo the dreadful howls of dogs and jackals.

The holiness and sacredness that reached the skies amid the religious chants have died out?

There is a wretched stench of dead bodies and today everything that was sane has been replaced by the insane?

We hear the beastly cacophonies and war cries of determined and ravaging soldiers?

The river is colored only in red from the currents of blood flowing into her,

Nobody can bear to look at the countenance of those savages who masquerade as liberators,

The men and women managing to survive now sport lifeless lips and exhale uneven breaths,

The eyes, the voices, the hearts, the souls, the faces, are all painful and sad,

There is nothing to hope, nothing to live for?

There are no words to describe the suffering and dishonor?

When will there be any redemption and protection

When will the suffering end and the flowers of love bloom

God, we need back our life and smile-----

ZAHEER ARIF?

ON A SAD 20 MARCH 2022