Political Rhetoric?
When was the last time
An “official,” that is,
A politician or bureaucrat
Gazed deeply into the eyes
Of a starving child,
Living in a remote village,
Dotting the landscape
Of our benighted country?
When was the last time
The rich and powerful
Shared a meal
With troubled farmers
Who toil in our fields?
When was the last time
A celebrity traveled
By foot to provide shelter
To the homeless?
When was the last time
Our so-called democracy
Provided a voice to
The voiceless, oppressed and marginalized
By actually counting their votes?
When was the last time
The voter had a choice
Between black versus white?
Who will focus
On the grey areas?
Who will envision
A nation as a
Many splendored thing?
Pray, which leader will
Rise, phoenix-like,
From the ashes,
And live to
Fight another day?
How will we make
Up for lost time since 1947?
When will our millionaires
And billionaires start
Paying their dues?
When will our government
Stop lining the pockets
Of the selected and chosen few?
When will we find
A seat at the table
At global seminars, conferences,
Convocations and assemblies?
When will we create
A welfare-oriented State
Directed toward the common weal?
When will we join
The community of nations
To find solutions to
Common challenges on planet Earth?
When will we join hands
With people from all over the world
To create a better world
In which everybody wins?
When will we stop dividing
Our world based on
Winners versus losers?
When will our planet
Earth achieve unity consciousness?
When will we learn to transcend
I, Me and Mine
And what’s in it for me?
And instead, help
And support each other?
Will we be able to
Avoid World War Three?
Will we ever achieve
Peace and harmony?
Will we be able to
Convert hell on earth
To a heaven on earth?
Do we have hope
And optimism for tomorrow
On a planetary scale?
Can we look beyond
Our banal and trivial
And petty concerns
And, instead, learn
To focus on our common humanity?
BIO:
Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.
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