Poem by Dr. Jernail S. Anand


UKRAIN

A train of thoughts leaves
The portals of my mind every morning
And returns by the evening
Carrying photos of grave destruction.

Neither Putin nor Zelensky
Have time to look
Through my poetry
And listen to my wailing words.

The UN has many war mongers
Among its ranks
But no poets
Who are not to import oil or gas

We who are not having arms deals
With the bear
Nor any fear of the crocodile
Nor are they for or against NATO

We who are on the side of sanity
And consider human life
More sacred than pseudo isms
And passions which compromise humanity

Are not in your war cabinet
O Putin!
Nor with you Zelensky nor with those
Who strike non-partisan pose

Good you don’t have us Poets
As your Advisors.
We condemn you for committing
All these hostilities, mortalities and casualties.

You have dyed in red
The history of our times
And added another horrible chapter
After Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

O unsuspecting citizens!
Choose not vain ambition to lead your nations
If you love your kids, your wine and beer,
Try making a Poet your Premier.


Comment by Nizar Sartawi

Such a voicelessly angry poem about this sad, sadistic war ripping children’s hearts out, devouring unsuspecting innocent humans… a blind war that only God knows where it leads… What can poets do in the face of those devils, the war-mongers with their unsatiable fires?