We Owe It. . . the Responsibility!!!}

by FAYEZAH IQBAL

We live in strange times for sure,

Newspapers demand our attention galore to endure..

the bizarre blots of sins and subjugation,

filling the voids of love-seeking, and peace-loving creation.

I flip through the pages to ensure there comes a day, that has no stories of human lives going amiss,

But I sob inside seeing rapes, homicides, and hate crimes only getting more brisk.

I come across news of minor girl being raped, killed and thrown like an everyday refuse;

And a corpse being raped too and burnt over to obliterate along with it the last bits of humanity;

I grieve deeply and gulp down my breakfast and morning tea.

I come across an incident of acid attack over a spurned love proposal;

I feel threatened but thank God for the security at my disposal.

Next is the news of Dalits being tortured and maimed..

I lament ruefully but get on with my daily chores, well- framed.

I shockingly halt at another devious act of child trafficking;

I am torn inside,empathise in my heart,but my existent comfort alludes me again...

I read about undertrials languishing in the jail for years..

And youths being framed in terror attacks and killed in fake encounters ,planned prior and clear,

and whistleblowers being haunted and sacked for unveiling corruption and fighting injustice.

I feel wretched like an accomplice.

I read on worryingly and woundedly for all the evils and choked voices of the world.

My mind lands up in the fourth space..

how deeply inured are we,witnessing every heinous, and detested attack

let out on our fellow humans to endlessly protract.

We mourn, grieve, condemn in our hearts strongly

and move on with our own set of usualness stoically.

But isn’t time we stop and think ....

beyond that elusive comfort zone and secure ground,

of the numerous blessings, assets, and privileges we are endowed

That we too owe an unshakeable responsibility,

of shouldering an equal share in alleviating the woes of humanity.

That we ought to stand up and speak, differ, protest, and battle..

against the spilled blood of the innocents, and the disgrace of the truth-crusaders,

against the sullied corpse and violated souls of living and dead women alike;

against the communal hatred ripping apart humans to the core..

against the human dignity crushed cruelly for upholding integrity.

We ought to owe it....the responsibility

For it could be us, the next time, the next prey,

yanked out discomfortingly from our heydays..

targeted out of prejudice, bigotry, lust and greed,

targeted for disallowing dishonesty and crime to breed.

We owe it..the responsibility!!

For the immunity we live with unperturbed,

whilst thousands wail somewhere else, for the brutal violence, unexplained and undeserved.

for the resources we cherish and relish everyday,

whilst many struggle and end up worse than animals, barely with the house and grain.

for the family and home we are still blessed with and adore endlessly;

whilst many are bereaved, by the atrocities unleashed ruthlessly.

for something in us dies too...

whilst we silently watch and hear humanity being smothered cold and blue!

Fayezah Iqbal did her Masters in Spanish from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Writing being her passion, she has been writing for various blogs since the last three years.