Je Suis Charlie !
Je Suis Charlie !
the voices merge and pour out
into the air, stoned and still,
wanting the warmth of breath.
The noise and sentiments cross
porous borders of nations and minds
they flow across borders of colour,
gender and age.
“Paris Mourns”: scream headlines,
and they will,
till they are hoarse and enter
from significant to insignificant middle pages
to scroll unnoticed in mini typescript.
Another day has passed.
Religion mourns, the Prophet mourns,
mourn the swamps and forests
of India and Lanka,
mourn the hills of Afghanistan
and the valleys of Pakistan.
The slumbering devil
rises green and hungry
from the molten lava of induced hate
and misunderstood faith,
vainglorious, bathed in blood.
Je Suis Charlie –
says every pen
says every tongue.
many frozen eyes have found fresh warm tears.
Tentacles of fear reach out
to crush quietly groomed vanity
in well oiled barrels of gold.
Satan rises to shadow a pale winter sun
and bloody the bloodless poles.
No falcon hears the falconer.
The lions and the peacock
bury their sheen,
flags of truce and faith are giddy ,
churned and shredded in fast moving gyres.
In pain and terror,
with medicated voice , plastered tongues
and candles in shaking hands,
mixing memory with desire
the world sings-
Je suis Charlie !
Photo Credit
Photo is Wikimedia Creative Commons
Guest Author Bio
Dr Shruti Das
Dr Shruti Das is Associate professor English in the P.G. Department of English, Berhampur University in Odisha, India. She is a creative writer with poetry published Nationally and Internationally and also a literary critic, writing bilingually in English and her native tongue Odia. She has participated in many National and International Seminars on English language literature and Communication skills in India and abroad. As well, she has published a collection of poems named “A Daughter Speaks” and has been published in Anthologies like “Inspired Heart 2″ and “Scaling Heights”. She is sensitive to social issues, loves to travel and to dream. She loves animals.
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apa i am surprised and happy 2 know all these about u. and the above poem is heart touching. although ‘a daughter speaks’ is in my library i could not time to read dat in a calm mind.
best of luck……………matru
The novelty of this poem is really enthused n instigated my heart into a great extent.Madam iam truly inspired for ur simple versification n diction.Thank u madam to have such an admirable poem 4 readers across the globe.Somewhere in the poem I have found ur wonderful elicitation of sympathy n tenderness.This z indeed worthy of high praise.
Beautiful and touching….and creates a poignant imagery around the sentiment!
Beautiful! In these cold brutal times we need the warmth of words and feelings like yours to make us feel human again. Great job Shruti.
A powerful poem of breaking heart.Unique in itself smeared with Sruti,s Philosophy.Love it. An wonderful poem.
Thanks alot Sir. I appreciate your opinion!
Beautiful and touching. Our prayers are with them. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
it is just not a poem,,it is a condolence,,a sentiment of a sensitive poet who is humane ,,a poem with a huge range that transcends borders of continents to spread the message of peace and denouncing evils from the mind that spreads hate ,,,thanx for sharing such a powerful poem,
Thanks RK Das. Your words of appreciation matter. They are critical as they are encouraging.
Dr. Shruti Das’s poems are stunning for their subjects and uniqueness of style. Her simplicity of diction and plausibility of enunciation is arresting. Indeed, the appropriate use of dialects and the suitable words chosen by the poet establish her maturity. I enjoy reading her poems. Her poems will certainly win readers’ approval across the globe.
Thank you Dr Bhoi. Thanks for the wonderful review of my book