Ah! That I'd but in dreams, Sought thy visage for years and eons, To heal good men from anguish'd moans, And purge ill ones in thy pious streams. Ireful blares; I'd learned from ages, Can ne'er appease a noble mind, And all that's gory, bleak and blind, Heave entombed as bygone pages. Greatest wonders e'er so made, Art but fruits of a placid soul. Battles ne'er can sate a goal, And offer jubilant roads to tread. I've seen 'em fight for lands and brooks, Perhaps a baffled quest to win. I've seen 'em frown and ne'er grin; And prance in pride as triumphant dukes. Antagonistic storms they face, Yet ne'er for peace they yearn, Civilisations decay and burn, And a day turn into a departed race. © Dipanjan Bhattacharjee INDIA