Civilization Poem by Nida Nawaz

(Addressed to the terrorist)

How sheepishly exposed before me
Lies the struggling voice
Of your cruel ideas
More exposed than the sting
Of your devilish grin
You may try to devour
As much as you want
The fine, rich tapestry
Of our cultural fabric
And push us back
Into deep, dark caves
Of the prehistoric age
But you probably know not
That our aeons old cultural mores
Our civilizational riches
Lie consecrated in the vast sea
Of our sensibilities
Numerous strains
Of our genome
And foundations of our character
Strong foundations that yield
No space to explosive mines
We're comfortably positioned
In the sublime heights
Of our cultural brilliance
Where no human sacrifice is made
At the alter of a demi-god

(Translated from Hindi By Ashfaq Lone)