A Time Upon Poem by Sadiqullah Khan

Once there was a time upon, in some distant land
People gathered, to sight the moon
A man in rags, pulling a camel, and they rushed
Here is the moon, but no, since the moon is round
And camels happen to have long legs, neck and hump
How it could be a moon.
A man running, towards the crowd, holding a seamer
It is round, it is moon, and since I have ‘droned’ it
It shall not ‘drone’ again.

Another man, a seam-bowler having won a playground,
Whimsical, bridled by the ‘Players’ –safe
To others. Having tempered his balls, to win a game
Having been taught in the dark rooms, having misled
The literates. Having urged to be listened
This time alone, to ‘drone’ a flying saucer
On the edge of poor, ignorant, mal-treated
Wearing the gown of hypocrisy, the most ferocious
Enemies hiding in his hearth, under warm covers.

These skies, earths, days and nights
Shall remain a battlefield, a battlesky and battle hardened
Children shall fight your war, his war, -shall fill your coffers
His coffers, -shall win, for you, your office and his office.

Sadiqullah Khan
Peshawar
November 24,2013.

Predator drone flies over Kandahar Airfield. @ U T San Diego