Sometimes we chat and ponder over the ways of the world poetically. This is the outcome of one of the poetic musings between Kathy and me. The second and fourth stanzas are by Kathy, first, third and the last stanzas are by me.


The World Today

One day I sat and pondered over life,
As you came to me,
Smiled in your usual way,
And said, how about amusing me?
And I said; OK,
Let's talk about the world,
About the trials and tribulations, we meet
in this cruel world.
Let us talk about the ways
Of this big wicked world.
How our lives begin on a happy note always.
How we go about learning, the wicked, wicked ways
of this big wide world,
How we go and spoil ourselves,
And never care for consequences,
that whatever we sow, we have to reap
Our lives are like trees
That we plant early in life and nurture with our souls,
That whatever will be the fruit that grows,
Depends entirely on us,
Whether our tree will grow and flower,
or just wither away,
Whether it gives fruits or thorns, depends our own ways...

lets talk about injustice
how it plagues upon the poor
lets talk about the power of money
and the corruption it lays at our doors

You wanted only to hear good news
as you smiled your silly grin
well let me tell you a thing or two
you are in total ignorance, my friend.

You want to be amused
by hearing only fairy tales
Listen and you will hear the agony
as a mother holds her baby and wails

She rocks and sings a lullaby
not one that you will know
It is one of her baby and dying
while you are putting on your show.

Well if that is what you want to know,
Then let us talk of war, let us talk of how man
can be a beast at war, he does not care at all
as he kills right and left, then justifies it by saying,
All is fair in war; Did you see the other day
That Iraqi mother with blood-smeared face?
As she clutched to her heart two pairs of army boots
The boots were of her two sons, and the blood was theirs too,
that she in anguish had smeared on her tear-stained face.
She was marching in the funeral procession of her young sons.
All these unjust wars are fought, and what are they for?
Let us sit and ponder a while on this situation too...

While chess players move their pieces,
wars and famine and turmoil reign
They play their matches in the park.
Indifference is the name of the game.

Check and Mate and down we fall
Hands of power open the gate
Like puppets in the master's hand
we sit still not knowing our waiting fate.

Our voices scream out into the night.
Let us be heard above the silent din.
We'll open your eyes to see the pain
and your ears to hear our hearts again.

We beat our drums together
pounding the rhythm of each tear
Can you feel the heartache,
the hopelessness, the fears?

In this world of today,
Every one is in a rat race,
Every one wants to reach somewhere,
Where to, they have no clue,
They run at top speed, upward and mobile,
To get rich quickly and have a lot of money,
Some how or the other,
no matter what the cost is to be paid,
No, matter who gets trampled on the way!
As long as you reach the top,
all is fair in this game:
Do we ever introspect?
Do we try to think?
Where have we tucked our souls away?
Hidden them deep within...
Soulless people, faceless people,
People without a conscience...
Where are we going where are we heading,
Do we have a clue?
We are playing in their hands...

Let's sit down and ponder over it,
My friend, let us think and reflect,
Let us be kind and loving and sharing,
Let's do something for the poor, the dispossessed...
Let us cry for the anguish of mankind,
Our brother on the other side of the world,
Let us bring the world together,
Under one umbrella, under one care,
Let not the profit of one be the loss of the other.
Let us share the profit of love,
Let us not to the pressures succumb!


Authers: Zoya Zaidi and Kathy Lokhart
Aligarh (UP) India and New Albany (Indiana) USA
Copyright©: Zoya Zaidi and Kathy Lokhart




Poetry by Zoya Zaidi
Read 967 times
Written on 2006-05-09 at 20:54

Tags World 

dott Save as a bookmark (requires login)
dott Write a comment (requires login)
dott Send as email (requires login)
dott Print text


Shas Ramlogan
Bringing two beautifully talented poets together definitely results in thought-provoking, enchanting, yet realistic addressing of the issues in this big ole world. Great work both Zoya and Kathy :)
2006-05-24


Daybreaker
Yes, in deed how true!

"Check and Mate and down we fall
Hands of power open the gate
Like puppets in the master's hand
we sit still not knowing our waiting fate."

Really fell for this verse.

Thank you!
2006-05-14


CherryFairy
Wow!! That was one of the best poems I have read in... FOREVER!!! Wow... That was some serious stuff.
I was near tears by the end of it... It's sooo amazing.. Wowww....
2006-05-13


pia
Yes Zoya, lets talk about how we end up with what Bob Dylan calls "too much of nothing"..I have often thought about how much that is going on and how litttle of it that matters and how far away many of us has come from ourselves and what we were meant to be ...I love this poem -Pia
2006-05-13


Zoya Zaidi
Dear Kathy, don't thank me!
The beauty here is all yours,
The beauty of your poem,
The beauty of your soul,
The beauty of your expression,
The beauty of your heart;
You just think it is mine,
What you think as mine,
Is actually the reflection of your ownself,
You see in me.
The beauty is not mine, my friend,
The beauty is yours only...

**hugs for a beautiful co-write!**
Your skill is unmached!
Love, xxx, Zoya
2006-05-11


wee2souls
how you write makes all
us stop and think of how the world is
and how it could be
to see are world as one
peace is all we hope for
ever in this world
cheers!
2006-05-10


Kathy Lockhart
I want to think Zoya publicaly. She is one very sweet sensitive spirit that soothes the sometimes cynical soul of mine. She is the balm that soothes my harshness. I have learned much from you Zoya. It has been a pleasure reading your poetry and then amazingly writing with you. Love you friend. kathy
2006-05-10



A good text, ladies, in the word's most true meaning!
2006-05-09


Alexander
I agree Ange1a:D WOW! Should absolutely be read by all:D Great poem:D
2006-05-09