Sunset in the backdrop, and a new sunrise-
The fire of the sun is so mild now,
The night shall follow which will rub all dichotomy-
The red blood flowing from two brothers,
The white sweat falling from their separate brows,
Their separate throats screaming different notes-
And fresh will rise, they, in the morning dew,
The tears now cold which washed all sores through the darkness.
Aren’t the stones the same colour there
As they are here?
Isn’t the maize dun, ice from the mountains cold?
I thought so.
It took a time to know-
Who was it who said: better late than never?
-21\2\99,Calcutta-63

COMMENTS :

On the afternoon of 20^th of February 1999 the Indian Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee went to Pakistan via a bus to meet his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. This was an unprecedented action and full of friendly symbolism and induced hope in the hearts of the citizens of two warring nations. This poem was a product of such rising hope. Unfortunately a few months later the symbolism seemed a travesty and so much ironic- come the merry month of May and the friendly symbolism would be replaced with howitzers.