The bleak, owl-omened cloud thunders,
Pealing woes, worries, rage and rancor,
As the "mighty" unleash their ferocity
At the helpless.
Another once-mighty nation
Tastes the bitter dust,
Standing on the edge of obscurity,
Where once,
The majestic ruled,
In a golden era
Of discovery, learning and science.
Where the cradle of civilization
Birthed generations,
Of achievers, builders, scholars
Poets, writers and calligraphers.
The forgotten tread of thousands
Echo in the hallowed halls
Of universities.
Remnants of museums and mosques
Stand sentinel,
Silent and bare.
The city dwellers, marsh people and villagers
Groping under the cover of darkness,
Looking for lost family and friends,
Eking a living
No one can begin to conceive.
All is laid to waste
As Baghdad, Basra and Mosul
Are assaulted yet again,
In the name of "good."
Forgotten:
The richness of the past,
The milk of human kindness.
Bomber jets sweep the skies,
Raining their fatal bounties.
Laughter, hope and dreams
Of generations to come,
Banished behind an iron wall.
Will they ever show their countenance
To the people of the ancient land?
