Ode To A War-Torn Land

This is inspired by the books The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns,both by Khaled Hosseini.

Ode To A War-Torn Land
I wrote of children,
Playing by the river.
Their eyes sparkling with joy
A smile, a laugh on their lips.
And brighter than a thousand suns
Was the sparkle in their eyes,
And more beautiful than the glowing moon
Was the sight of them playing,
By the river.

And it seemed but a dream,
In this war-torn land,
Where those who step out of their homes,
Are not sure
If they will return.

And most of those who do come back,
Are fated to remain, for the rest of their lives,
Wallowing in misery.
Emotionally, physically, mentally scarred.

Wait! Far in the distance,
I see a glimmer of hope.
Small it may be,
Insignificantly so,
But it’s there, and that’s all I need to know.

It fuels me, gives me strength.
It allows me to believe,
That someday, things will change.
That someday, people who leave their homes,
Will be guaranteed a safe return.
That the glimmer of hope
Will be translated into reality.
That children will play
By the river.
Anugraha Venugopal

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