Look INTO MY EYES
When a wall of concrete
fell upon my living house,
when the shudder from the ground
strangled the cries of my children,
when I hunted amidst rubble
for the hand I vowed never to leave,
when the stench of rotting bodies
kept me away from my search,
when God in his wisdom forsook me
Where were you....
When I wilted in the cold
with only my sorrow for company,
when food rotted in trucks
while I scrounged for morsels,
when the looting began even
before hopelessness set in,
when sickness, disease, famine
plagued my homeland
Where were you....
It is not the quake that scares
its your attitude that mystifies me;
this could happen to you tomorrow
of what use will aerial surveys be?
I paid my taxes, cleared my dues
trusted in you to keep them safe,
now your bulldozers finally arrive
just in time to remove the debris.
where were you when they were living
did your files hear their screams
why has your chair made you so deaf?
they died in vain
because you were inept.
Look into my eyes
feel my grief
I am not a statistic
don't insult me with your cheque
It's too late for donations
give me your hand instead
if this tragedy finally wakes you
it would be a silver lining amidst my pain
leave your wreaths and show me resolve
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