A glimmer of hope?

The rising dawn, its heavenly glow,
Spreading the warmth of every hue,
Preparing for the morning show,
To the earth below, so green and blue.

Hills, mountains, valleys and lakes,
Living beings great and small,
Coming to life as the new day breaks,
From as long as man can recall.

So full of wonder, the joy of nature,
A superstructure designed to uplift,
Filling the hearts of every creature,
From the Creator – indeed a gift.

But O! What’s this? Blind impunity!
The hand of man brings forth calamity,
With greed in the guise of benevolence,
Raking up the seeds of turbulence.

As smooth as is the politician’s tongue,
The workmen with machines, ready to plunge,
With urgent designs upon Mother Nature,
To leave her bereft and deflowered forever.

Voices of dissent, anger and indignation,
Insignificant as a drop in the ocean,
As their fellow men, who disagree on principle,
Still benefit after all the trouble.

Thus it is left to us – those who care,
To take up arms against this crime,
The question remaining is do we dare?
For we are surely running out of time.

So help us God.

About the Poet: This poem was written by Dyanan. He is an alumnus of Melaka Manipal Medical College. This poem won 2nd prize in the ICHS poetry competition held in 1998