What Matters?
----------------------

Matters of faith,
Politicized,
Draped in devilry,
Raised before each election,
Vote-banks,
Another temple,
One more mosque,
Just a name,
Does it really matter?

He is everywhere, they told me,
Within and without,
All around,
Present when needed most,
In different forms,
A mosque doesn't bind His image,
Nor a temple set it free,
Then, do my places of pilgrimage,
Or my religion really matter?

Is He weeping this moment,
Watching us fight
Over bricks and mortar,
Men losing their way,
Killing His children,
The fervour of their chants
Drowning His meek query,
"My teachings of tolerance,
Do they really matter?"

Can you hear the child,
The silent sobbing
Of a starved stomach,
A body beaten by its masters,
No school guiding him to salvation,
Without medicine for his wounds,
As his hollow eyes look up,
And he asks with stinging sarcasm,
Walking away,
Not waiting for the lies,
"Do I really matter..."

~ Rahul Misra ~

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