Best Sikh Poems
How do I shed the label
of a white oppressive man
Do I listen to the message
of Obama's "Yes we can!"
Perhaps I'll go out marching
With women take to the streets
Hold placards of "Black Lives Matter"
While trying to feel their pained heart beats
Still I wonder should I feel guilty
for horrible things my race has done
Or would it not be better
If I instead loved everyone
My friends are many religions
Jewish, Muslim, Christian Too
I've conversed with Jehovah witnesses
if you are Sikh I can learn from you
I'm unconcerned with color
or the kind of clothes you wear
I'm more interested in your story
and the heart you're willing to share
Don't see me as an enemy
Just because my skin is white
Understanding will replace our fear
Conversations can make things right
No one wants to be looked at
through the lens of a clouded eye
If you and I are both willing
a different logic will apply
In the end we are brothers and sisters
there is but one human race
Each person wants a sense of belonging
It's up to us to create that space.
Entry for Debbie Guzzi's " What is White?" Contest
There's no such thing as a Hindu horse, nor a Catholic cat
There's no such thing as a Protestant parrot, you can always be sure of that
There's no such thing as a Rasta rabbit, nor a Mormon mouse
There's no such thing as a sheep thats a Sikh, on that you can bet your house
These creatures have no religion at all, no sectarian divide
Their only ''rules'' are created by nature; and nature will provide
If only the ''clever'' human race had no superstitions
There'd be no more wars at all, no more senseless missions
For religion is based on superstition, filled with legend and myth
Telling you how to live your life and whom you should walk with
Back to that nesting bird in the tree, or even that wild boar
Have you ever heard of an animal that created a world war ?
Can I kiss a Catholic
or a Muslim or a Jew,
A Buddhist or an Atheist,
a Sikh or a Hindu?
Can I share their faith with them
and not condemn my soul,
To eternal persecution
in the Devil’s deepest hole?
Can I offer love to those
who are not always straight.
Who’s love is shared with their own sex
or either kind of mate?
If so, am I a pervert
who can’t pass through heaven’s gate,
is it true that love can lead to hell
as surely as can hate?
Can I really lead a life
rejecting all I find
that meet the inner feelings
that have formed within my mind?
Is it true that I’ve no right to choose
the things I want to do,
but just accept I must conform
to things that can’t be true?
If this is so, I’ll tell you,
then this life is really hell,
the Devil’s won already
we are bound within his spell.
But I’m sure that God Almighty
is around for All Mankind,
whatever path we follow
or whatever love we find.
Ivor G Davies
Meera counts the money.... just one hundred and fifty rupees. Still to pay to the grocer and the electric bill. The guests will come and to greet on the Diwali and Happy New year, some sweets for them. For children , there should be chocolates and light drinks. The homeless people will come in the morning and will have to give a rupee to each. It just leaves 15 rupees. Tomorrow will be Diwali and the day after The New year….For years I have not given any gifts…Oh, Madan.
Meera looks at one of her gold ring on her right hand
As the ring’s grove is empty without any stone.
She lost the diamond of the ring long back unmindfully.
She left for a jeweler’s shop to sell her only treasure.
And to buy a Dipawali Gift for her husband Madan
Who liked and used to play with it in their secret hours.
She buys a gold single bangle for her Madan’s right hand
Even after finding the perfect gift, she begins worrying
That he will be displeased by her bare wrists’ appearance.
Madan comes home, looks at her and greatly shocked.
Reacts a little knowing that his reaction will make sense
When Meera opens the gift of diamond he bought for her.
As she opens the box, Madan reveals, he bought it
Selling his gold bangle, a positive sign of his masculinity.
The story stops here zooming out of the epic proportions,
The gifts that seem useless are the quests successful
We feel, they are the wisest givers and are the magi.
Meera and Madan - the Indian Names
**Bangles are traditional ornaments worn mostly by South Asian women in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some men also wear a single bangle on the arm or wrist called kada or kara. In Sikhism, the father of a Sikh bride will give the groom a gold ring.
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January 1, 2015
Form: Free Verse
First Place win
They sit gossiping
around on chairs
Under shady walnut
Sh! Sh! Backbiting!
Abusing! Loud laughing…
having fun!
A proud young man
newly appointed
Abused his pupils in
anger
When I in innocence
interrupted him
And reminded of his
class,
For the poor pupils I saw
were waiting
Opening their books on
their bags.
Another one, a Master, I
saw was pulling his
inferior female
colleague’s arm
And dragging her in…!
A lecturer kissing his girl
students on cheeks,
whispering in their ears,
and
embracing…!
A broad shouldered tall
teacher would kiss and
bite
The plum-cheeks of my
fair-looking class-
fellows,
One among now is a KPS
officer!
An old lame teacher,
A drinker, abused the
pupils all the time,
Often sitting cross-
legged, lighting a cigar.
O! Let’s stop it here…
but a sick Sikh
headmaster
Now I see had been
highly communal
Would beat at prayer-
time
The poor pupils
sweating in sun,
Without seeing the
wooden-slates
And beating with willow-
twigs their soft thighs.
Thanks to the highly
disciplined modern
schools
In private sector
But the curriculum be
child centered
And not fatiguing and
boring.
O O! Recently I have
heard of the teachers
Who gave me a
humiliating nickname,
One is shouting and
hurling stones at people,
Another is dumbfounded,
hardly talking to any one.
Whom have you hired
teachers...?
Drivers and Boucher—
I wonder and I ponder…
But, let I at least protest.
Brobdingnagian people of wealth
Possessing sinewy warriors of health
Brawny nature makes empires shiver
City wall stronger more than ever.
The people of great black magic
Though they are meek
Gallant like the pride of barbados
They brought glory to us.
Their food, culture, tradition and music
Known all over the world like Sikh
Great Empire Dynasties of Oyo, Ibadan, Ife, Owu and Ogbomoso.
Source of great writers to Nigeria
Whose work are publish around the world in various media
Salute to the shrewd people
Of the South-West Pole
Limerick : Once a sick Sikh in a great hurry
Once a sick Sikh in a great hurry
Went to see a doctor after (a) hot curry
He hurried back mid-way
You know why so don’t bray
Now (he) sees doctors only when merry.
or
Since (he) sees doctors under a lorry
or
Now he sees proctors I’m so sorry.
© T. Wignesan – Paris, 2013
A racist white man’s vehicle broke down
in the middle
of the blackest pride side of Motown
He scratched his red neck double chin
in Appalachian drawl dismay;
perplexed at having a little Aryan problem
of not being “Black Tie Members” insurance covered,
to get his big, blanco Hemi pickup
towed away
It was hot as an Alabama cotton-picking afternoon
this particular Detroit July morning
He didn’t wanna have to call his best buddy,
Billy Bob for help,
and end up paying double the repair cost ...
Plus getting cussed out
for not not having no beer for a frosty suds favor situation
Fortunately, a kind Haitian couple, and their Fu Manchu
mustached Mexican friend stopped ...
and Good Samaritan darkie-style helped him out
Ricky Joe talked weather and sports ... friendly small talk,
but mostly he was pew quiet as a mouse in his church
When time came to part ways, and Ricky Joe had to thank them
with thick, German chocolate gratitude ...
he nearly fainted from melanin love exhaustion
Some neapolitan rumors said
he had a merry blackberry charity heat stroke
This darkly faint imposition caused Ricky Joe
to be brought to the nearest minority renown hospital,
by way of a Sikh-owned ambulance,
in critical condition
The attending nurse was a graduate school native Indian guy
A nice, Asian lady doctor hands-on treated Ricky Joe,
but the shock was too much for his mind to Jim Crow
RJ had a cardio meltdown: blown gastric Slim Jim,
when he opened his eyes and saw her smiling at him ...
Cardiac arrest Manila handcuffed his chest,
as he tried to stifle the fear his Hillbilly best
RJ had a Very Vanilla short recovery stay:
He was carried out in a black hearse,
driven by an Arab fella, urban rumors say
Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Jew –
I understand your point of view.
If you can’t mine – well, that’s a shame.
No “holy” war is in God’s name.
Islam means “peace”. We all want that.
Meet the Quakers. Be friends and chat.
Buddhist, Hindu – we’re all the same.
No “holy” war is in God’s name.
Jehovah’s Witness to a Sikh:
Sisters and brothers, let us speak.
It’s not a case of placing blame.
No “holy” war is in God’s name.
“An ye harm none, do as ye will.”
The Wiccan Rede, we must fulfill.
Let peace on Earth become our aim.
No “holy” war is in God’s name.
twenty one soldiers waited their fate
twenty one soldier's ready to defend
would give up their lives in the call
to keep the fort....not let it fall
the afghans invaded in great strength
the valiant sikh soldiers gave their all
sikhs in total killed 600 men ..gave their lives
when they answered the commanders call
this was a battle in 1869
battle of saragarhi was its name
a temple was built in 2003 ...to
commemorate their fame.
a movie called 21 Sikhs has been made, reminding all of the valiant Sikh soldiers
an insane battle 21 Sikhs against many hundreds of Afghans
the joys of marriage become memorable with unforseen breakdowns
Late night frolicking and teasing continued
Dancing and music lasted till early hours
With a beating heart and ignited nerves
I lay nervously on bed wondering what lay ahead
My groom arrived with a garlanded brow
Our marriage was performed with religious fervour
While the priest read out our marriage obligations
We walked in tow four times around the holy book
Family pressures had made my groom suspicious
Whether it was really me or else behind the veil
He bent and peeped lifting the veil slightly
Much to the chagrin of the priest and mirth for family
After the family lunch we drove down to his home in another city
His car broke down for a breather on an isolated road
My groom romanced on the ground beneath his car in the summer heat
While I all decked and drenched, bent down to observe him in greasy repair
In final disparity of three breakdowns we ultimately reached home
Bathed and refreshed we were having a lovey-dovey talk
When there was a loud bang, we opened the door to find a smiling friend,
He was unable to reach the marriage venue as his car had broken down!
March 24, 2016
Contest: My Wedding Day Is Special
Sponsor: Olive Eloisa Guillermore
* reference to a Sikh marriage
I know, this is insulted task,
You are very important to me.
I know, this is insulted task,
You are fully enlightened to me.
I have no objection
You are quiet handsome and smart
I have no objection
Your are honest working hard a part
But I can’t allow you
You are still a servant.
But I can’t allow you
You are lower caste detergent.
I can invite you
If you have a different religion,
I can invite you
If you have a different language vision,
It is a matter of my purity
It is a tradition of my culture and faith
It is a matter of Hindu sanctity
It is a pride of my family myth.
You can’t understand
As you are exploited over the centuries.
You can’t blame them
If nobody accepted you a human the centuries
If you are Muslim
Still facing a caste barrier
If you are Sikh
Still facing a caste barrier
If you are Christian,
Still facing a caste barrier
If you are Buddhist
Still facing a caste barrier
You need to know
Hindu fantasies have strong ties
You need to know
Why all others have mourn flies
They also believe that
Caste is a God gift
They also believe that
Dalits have downtrodden rift
Is world ready to accept you?
Explain me, what have they done for you?
Nobody is ready to help you
If you are Dalit, they have done none for you,
They love you,
Only the cause of their Religion.
They love you,
Only the cause of their vision.
Religious philosophy is equal,
Divide mankind and ruled over them
Religious philosophy is equal,
Kill the welfare of mankind to convert them.
One day will come,
When you will be a religious man,
One day will come,
When a Dalit shouln’t be a Dalit fan.
I never accepted such challenge that makes me fool.
I accepted challenge that provides me accelerating tool.
I am a Dalit, not human,
Hindu treat me slave in a democratic rule.
Impassable roots and recommendations hide,
No place for strange but offering a stool.
What do you want to reward me?
Pain, tear, suffering or something extra cool.
I never heard you are also supporting me,
Human civil rights aren’t a swimming pool.
I wrote, someone would hear my pain,
But everybody has cry in a bribery school.
We are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jews or Buddhist,
Not a human, only religion in a living shell.
What is a worship message: to worship a tomb?
Kill them innocently if a life is quill.
Oh, my dear fellow, I write for nothing,
Whose not charged me appreciation, is that not hell?
Who loves not his grace, why do I feel pain?
Are we or not; human, that’s my untouchable skill?
Once a little girl named Monique
Dreamt of opening up a boutique
Between the creek and clinique
Thought long of every technique
Her sign above would be no antique
It would glow and actually speak
“Hello we’re MYSTIQUE -
Open every day of the week
Come on in, have a peek
We sell clothes that are chic
Indian silks from the Sikh
Colourful lace and batik
For women of every physique
You’ll love us, we’re unique
And for lunch, stay fill your beak
Try Mom’s soup of fenugreek and leek“
While others were playing hide-and-seek
Little Monique dreamt of opening her boutique
Submitted on March 9, 2021
Posted on March 17, 2018
If you like to become a priest,
Don’t try to distinct in West or East.
If you like to become a Saint,
Don’t try to rate on human fate.
If you like to become a teacher,
Don’t try to marginalize coloring feature.
If you like to become a doctor,
Don’t try to exercise inhuman sector.
A Priest can deliver a lecture on welfare,
A spirit can help us to become a lover.
A Saint can bless us to become a human,
Nobody is Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Roman,
A teacher can build cracking relations,
What is contradiction in growing fashions?
A doctor can inject a healthy structure,
He can remove danger of a fracture.
A priest, saint, teacher and a doctor,
They can civilize the World to become an actor.
A politician should be honest and darer,
That can offer a solution as a family carer.
What do we need to alter in the system?
So we can reduce pain to establish wisdom.
That can provide patience and respect,
A person can live satisfactorily with rest.
Living is a God gift and Natural selection,
Why is human having a temperamental reaction?
Natural resources a betterment for creation,
The World society is a God’s Nation.
Why are Language, Colour, Race, and Caste?
A seed of animalism or a barrier of cruelty dust.
Heaven, hell or Qiyamat (calamity), a worthless teaching,
A painful disease and mentally disordered suffering.
Oh, Modern human, what is a best treatment?
To kill innocents; to gain profitable factor.
Who has an objection, human is not wise?
We have, forward, upward and backward rise.
If our deeds are building a thorn reactor,
Are we human or animal, what’s a best chapter?
Experience is getting bored and practices are dull,
Everywhere is bloodshed, what’s a human skull?