Remembrances
The city that takes its name from nectar
Nectar that is supposed to be in the waters
The divine presence that resonates in the waters
A city where tourists flock to seek divinity
A calmness in the air as one sits quiet
Readings of the holy text reverberating
This calmness is benumbed as one moves to the Bagh
A garden that offered joy and solace
A garden where people had gathered peacefully
There are people here too, this day,
People eager to see, people talking as they enter
Bullet holes on walls – testimony to that gory day
The bloodied well – a silent witness
The narrow entrance that restricted many
The cries for help – children, young and old
Falling one upon the other – innocent victims of atrocities unleashed
Innocence trammelled – lives lost – inhumanity
Scenes from the past come back – a gory reminder
A reminder of violence, of reckless power and authority
Have we learnt lessons from past acts of violence?
Have we learnt that nothing good comes of violence?
Have we learnt that violence is useless? – all kinds of violence
Have we learnt to raise our voices against violence – of any kind.