see the beauty of the world of nature[1]
the sea so serene and solemn
palm trees standing tall and proud
the occasional bird flying high
effortlessly gliding in the blue sky
the sun creating silhouette on grand President Hotel
an occasional marvel of human architecture too

II

see the world of humans
fighting and massacring
plundering and pillaging
devastating nature and toxicing it
but there too is a silver lining
a working man in India using his motorbike as free ambulance
a refugee Rohingya woman adopting orphans
committed intellectuals all over unassumingly fighting against injustices
amid the counsel of silence and protection of self-interest

III

this is our world.
this is the only world we have
there is none other to pray and plead to
this is the world which we have to better
so long as we breath
remembering always
as individuals our breaths are finite
as a collective we keep breathing indefinitely.


  1. Early morning watching the Atlantic Ocean from the vantage point of posh Sea point area in Cape Town.

License

Poems for the Penniless Copyright © 2019 by Issa G Shivji. All Rights Reserved.

Share This Book