A Kashmiri Migrant Camp 1990 Poem by BAL KRISHAN PANDITA

Where is the time for you to weep
And be nostalgic about your lost home
Forget that the night ahead is dark and lonely
First you have to find a roof for yourself

In the hot summer days when life in tent is miserable
In the rainy season when rain pours through your canvas roof
And snakes and scorpions shelter in your place
Pray do not get lost in your past sunny days

Your memories of ripening fruits of your garden
And your lively lush green paddy fields
The crystal river that ran by the road
And your journey with the moon at night

The vales, gardens and the village, that were once your own
Are now reminiscent of a place where your brother's blood was
Leave your grief, there are other skies and places to go
Rest not, tonight you have to prepare for tomorrow


There is some talk of you here and there
In hidden whispers and hollow government doles
No one understands the tragedy you bore
Grumble not, walk alone, your journey is long


An old man in a tent forgets his troubles
And keeps on asking
Will Allah grant freedom to anyone
Who despises the freedom of other man.