THE PAIN

© Written by Shahid Abbas 2022

Our tears will never stop
 I ask you
 Yes, you
 
 Are you the man who
 feels the pain of that
 old man in the street
 wearing rags
 His face speaks of a hard life
 Strife, hunger and thirst,
 his companions.
 
 Lacking the beauty of
 innocence of youth
 His eyes are dry now
 He has no more tears now
 The crying days have
 passed
 He readies for home at
 last
 
 His body is worn
 His heart broken and
 torn apart by endless
 injustice
 Another friend daily
 accompanying him
 
 Oh he used to care
 Oh how he placed
 total faith in self
 described leaders
 Failures at every turn
 
 He exhorts
 Pay attention!
 Believe less without
 proof
 Words are
 meaningless without
 acts
 
 I cannot write about
 the pain of others
 Only my own
 My eyes do not
 deceive
 I hear the cries of the poor
 See the struggle of injured spirits
 forgotten by
 governments long
 disbanded
 
 It's our land
 I implore!
 Do not destroy it
 Honor it as
 Nature protects her
 own
 
 This is a test of your
 behavior
 Toward all God's
 creatures
 Great and small...