Bridging the Unbridgeable Chasm

Written: 21 July 2023 Submitted to No. 1231 New Poem Only Poetry Contest Sponsored by Brian Strand Bridging the Unbridgeable Chasm* As rises the wealth of nations, As grows the limb of a township So declines the flowers of compassion; As grows the arm of a city, As grows the height of skyscrapers So grows absolute poverty, So grows the chasm between man and man, So grows the chasm of humanity. When the pursuit of wealth becomes The relentless craze of mankind, When men are devoid of feelings And look with disdain at human kind In dire needs, in want of a day`s meal, The chasm between the wealthy and poor lot Grows wide and cannot be concealed As the expanse of the ocean. When robots are treading the floor Where erewhile men stood as masters, When AI is showing the door To humble men for tasks they perform, The divide between rich and poor nations, The chasm between those who wield wealth And those who their sweats do transform Into a loaf to sustain their soul Becomes as unbridgeable As the northern and southern poles. When climate change is threatening The lives and livelihood of millions Of mortals in vulnerable countries, More so amidst African nations And the most in small island states That least contribute to emission Of waves of noxious greenhouse gases And the sequels of global warming, When calls to lend a helping hand From countries blasted by global warming Are just filtered to a dead end Or elicits but meagre backing From advanced nations of the world, The chasm between giant creators And needy victims of global warming Widens beyond the reach of a bridge. When the ill-fated pandemic And the Russian war in Ukraine Have driven public debt to soaring heights, Rendered growth efforts in vain And worsened all citizens` plight Amidst developing nations Well beyond sustainable sight, When servicing of public debt Absorbs resources for basic needs And becomes a pervasive threat Instead of a tool for development, When overseas assistance keeps dwindling And the heart of nations decays, When advanced nations lend deaf ears To pleas of countries in dismay, Crippled with intense debt burdens And dipping deep down the abyss, The chasm between the world`s wardens And distressed developing nations Becomes truly unbridgeable As the sky and the earthly region. Only a change of human heart To breed the seeds of compassion And instil in it love of man for man, Only a change of global relations And financial infrastructure in the midst of one and all nations To make the world a global village Where flourish the fond flowers of humanity Can bridge the unbridgeable chasm And shed on earth lights of Divinity. Let not the virtuous vision Of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” Remain just a colourful dream, But rather let us all nurture The seeds that in the days to come Will give rise to a glorious world Where every nation, every mortal Can eye the flag of peace high unfurled, Lead a life of shared prosperity, With due respect to the earthly sphere That will redeem humanity; Let us build a long-lasting bridge With the precious bricks of compassion That will link man to man of every race, Of every creed and conviction And usher in a span of Divine grace That in the scroll of human history Will for ever and ever leave its trace And shine like a gem till eternity. *The poem shares some reflections, from the broader perspective of humanism, on the main themes of two international meetings held recently, namely (i) the African Caucus meeting of IMF and World Bank Governors of the African continent in Capo Verde from 6 to 8 July 2023, and (ii) the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting under the Indian Presidency in Gujarat, India, from 17 to 18 July. The main theme of of the first meeting was “New Modalities and Mechanisms to Finance Economic Development in Africa”. Under this theme, discussions focused on (i) Public Debt as a Financing Instrument for Growth in Africa Within New Global Financial Infrastructure (ii) Unlocking Climate Change for Africa (iii) Fostering Energy Financing for Africa and (iv) Private Sector Development in Africa: The case of African Small States. Under the Indian Presidency theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, participants discussed on a host of international issues, including (i) Global Economy and Global Health (ii) Sustainable Finance and Infrastructure (iii) International Financial Infrastructure (iv) International Taxation and (v) Financial Sector and Financial Inclusion. The poem calls for a change in human heart and nurturing of the seeds of compassion to bridge the growing chasm between man and man.