O pilgrim! Where do you go?
Is there a new temple, mosque or shrine to be?
O yes! There’s a place I’ve longed to go
To attain serenity and some peace too.
They say, the lord himself was born in the very land,
Walked and played on the very soil!
And grown into a man of valour and of word.
O that’s the place I wish to go
With fastening steps and an eager heart!
O pilgrim! Why do you go?
Is there no god in your beating heart?
Is there no god in your running veins?
And no god in your living soul?
Yes, I say – he resides in me
But a shrine so magnificently built!
No true pilgrim can ever refuse to be.
For years now, we have fought for it.
And many a men have died saving the land.
Many a men have killed and gotten killed .
How honoured is there sacrifice now?
How great there faith in God must be!
How gallant their families and children be!
How noble their tears and blood still be!
How proud in them, would the lord still be-
Men of unshackled faith and fidelity.
O pilgrim! Do you hear yourself not?
For since when has your religion talked of hate and enmity?
Since when it has taught bloodshed and killings?
And not of caregiving and love?
O pilgrim! rest your eager feet.
And move not towards the shrine but away from it,
Away to the families that of the deceased
Away to the kids that have grown fatherless indeed!
O pilgrim! Do you not see for yourself?
How hatred has formed a home in their heart.
And vengeance with them like a sibling be.
slowly taking them away from joy.
O pilgrim! rest your eager heart!
For no holy book has ever preached hatred so far.
For how does it matter, for the shrine to be?
When you carry god , in your every cell you see.
O pilgrim! Rest your eager mind.
Preach peace and preach it loud and wide!
Preach love and preach it loud and wide!
O pilgrim! Rest for a little while.
Your journey will soon start,
And in the end, will take you anywhere but to your – heart.

Kavya Singh has submitted this amazing poem as her entry to Summer 2021 Writing Contest organised on Unverbalise.

The entry has been posted above as is.

She is the Rank #2. Email: kavya.hsingh.25@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kabusuke_/

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