Across the Oceans

To a dream loved and cherished for years We return across oceans, dunes and deserts End the anguish of years and find some solace, Arms round friends, a comforting embrace. The fields have waves of lush, green seas, Trees shine in the sun to oncoming breeze; Wading a rivulet crisscrossing the road, Bronzed beauties bear a banana head load. In the lap of nature the village is still serene, Timeless in repose, the earth throbs with life, But we take a dirt road to disorder in towns, In an instant the peace is gone and chaos reigns. Shattered by noise, not just by the din of traffic But culture norms, songs and dance and meets Election time and clash of values thirst for power: The thunder of words drowns the people’s woes Their thatched and tiled roofs look up in awe At the colorful, huge and storeyed homes That rise of a sudden when the wealthy drive in And view once friendly neighbors like gnomes. Forgotten are the values of compassion and love. What rules today is arrogance. And the craving For huge fortunes “to last centuries from now”. Once civilized, our society now lauds the ruthless. Absolute Power holds sway. No holds are barred. If weaker ones” resist, their shanties are charred. The world of the have-nots is humanity in the raw, They starve, they weep. When provoked they kill. They fault the world: “justice has gone astray!” It’s anguish ‘n frustration lands and people portray! To the cities, in quest of jobs, hungry millions arrive come, Each road in chaos, a death trap, every street a slum. The times have changed our ideals to our souls. We’ve zeal no more, we lost sight of our goals. The memory is bitter, the dedication we espoused The dream of a world unto true justice exposed: We forgot the oppressed we promised to set free, The captor’s challenge makes us turn back and flee.