Years pass and the efforts
Of thousands are slowly
Forgotten like the wind
That blew on those stormy days
Of blood, sweat, and guns,
And the concepts of peace
And freedom and Ahimsa
Spread like the black
Monsoon clouds as the people
Were roused to hope for the
Better days when captivity
Existed only in prisons and
Prisons existed outside
Their homes. Clothes were
Woven with saffron, green
And white fabrics and the
Power of numbers somehow
Wove themselves into
Patriotism, which was a ship
Moving too fast to stop at
A harbour so it crashed into
The sandy banks and ran over
The land, corroding and eroding
And displacing and destroying,
And then there was nothing left
Not even evolution,
Not even improvement,
And sixty years pass, maybe
Seventy and the people chant
The same slogans and the
Same stereotypes and the same
Misconceptions, and the humans
Chant for justice and rights,
And the youth chants for
Escape and slowly this
Casket of hopes and dreams
And potentials balances on its brim,
But it too will soon crack.

Ahimsa – Principles of non-violence

Soham Bagchi is a high school student living in Gurgaon, India. He writes poetry and prose (enjoys structured verse), listens to music, and has many other interests, all tied together by his determination and passion. You can find more of his work at sohambagchi.wordpress.com.