HOME SWEET HOME In a land once famed for the fragrance of its fertile fields And the exuberant vibrancy of its society A dark shadow looms ominously overhead. Folk have little to be joyful of. A blend of state oppression, corruption, corporate greed, fascism, Consumerism, poverty, and neglect combined with The accumulation of decades of misrule Have altered the very fabric of this once-famed nation. The masked smiles are mostly surface-level As are the outward displays of wealth and prosperity A deeper inspection reveals an agony Which is burdened further by debts, and intoxicants. What happened to the place we called home? So troubled are the citizens currently That in their desperation Their intellect has abandoned them. On every corner, a new holy magician arises Promising the latest round of grand illusions of nirvana. But in actual fact only assisting in ‘hellifying’ Further still, a decaying paradise. Superstitions supersede rationalism The ridiculous has become the norm here As the logical induces a yawn. Entertainment is craved By the masses It distracts, diverts and delays. No one wants to stare reality In the eyes, because eyes reflect. The canvas of rich traditions Eroding rapidly before us. But all are oblivious Only when the storm has passed Shall we look back And asses the irreparable damage Reminiscing on what might have been. This is a disaster incomparable to the past This is new, modern, and armageddon-like This is a rot from within and from out. In a small corner of this expanding chasm In her village residence A wife’s tears caress her cheeks softly Before running down to her jaw And then leaping with increasing speed Simultaneously to the ground With a gentle thudding rippled splash They merge with the others That have been gathering there over some time. She screams A horrible shrieking sound Originating from the pit of her being A dark, primal, reverberation. It echoes lingering like an unwelcome stench. The separation from her beloved partner Is too much to bear. Across the oceans and continents A brother stares, beyond the television news headlines, into the murky distance Unable to focus on any aspect of life A vacant lumbering look is etched across An already strained contorted face. Without vivaciousness or vigour The thrill of sport and The melodies of music Have become drab and uninteresting The inquisitive splendour of youth Replaced by a confusion of what was And what is now, and all that has been in between. Having already in recent past lost a wife and mother A father walks down the stairs and Confronts this scene in his living room. He is numb to it It repeats itself on a daily, weekly and yearly basis His tears have dried up When he wants to let out cry of despair No sound leaves his mouth. First, they took his happiness And now even his wailing Is muted, leaving him without an outlay for his pain. The shared hopes, dreams and aspirations of his family have all but vanished. DETAINED WITHOUT DUE PROCESS CONFINED WITHOUT TRIAL TORTURED IN ‘CORRECTIONAL’ FACILITIES PUNISHED WITHOUT EVIDENCE DEPRIVED OF HUMANITY PERSECUTED FOR BELIEFS # FREEJAGGINOW LISTEN TO THE SPOKEN WORD EDITION HERE: deolfoundation.org/express-yourself-blog/home-sweet-home-by-poet-deol |
EditorPOET Deol Patrons:
Professor Balkar Singh. Author and Director of the World Punjabi Centre, Punjab University, Patiala, India. Ekh Ong kaar Kaur Khalsa Author, Kundalini Yoga teacher and Sikh Dharam Minister. USA Kivumbi Earnest Benjamin. Journalist and Environmentalist. Director of Heal The Planet Uganda. Archives
October 2023
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