For A More Beautiful World Poem by P K Joy

God sent me suddenly my death warrant
Yama* himself came as the executant.
He’s well known for his unfailing punctuality
And God trusts him for his steadfast loyalty.

In a flash he showed me the black death warrant
And signaled to the demons to carry out the errand.
They tied my hands and legs to a long heavy log
Not uttering a word while for an hour’s time I did beg.

After my repeated crying and begging, Yama yelled “No!
Your time’s ended. God’s command you must know! ”
His roar quietened me. Soon dashing through the air
We reached God’s court. He granted me one hour!

I thanked God for the time, placed my proposal
Before Him and prayed for His kind disposal.
I said: “instead of ending my life my Lord
Use me to build a more beautiful world.

“The world you created so wonderfully
Is now corrupted and polluted irredeemably.
It’s beyond repair. It’d better end in annihilation.
Its end will give you relief and the time for a new creation.

“Lord! You are in love with your alluring creation.
But please realize, it has become a horrendous vexation.
It doesn’t deserve your mercy any longer.
End it. Let’s start work to make a world surely lovelier.

“The new world be built with only honest human beings
Who’d honour you by living with sincere fellow-feelings,
Sharing deep sympathy and love untouched by: creed,
Politics, hatred, wickedness, selfishness and greed.

“In the schedule of new creations let’s not include:
The criminal-politicians, ministers who practice fraud,
Terrorists and extremists who are enemies of peace
And officials who work only when their palms get grease.

“And to make the new world truly a beautiful place
We’ll eliminate jealousy and rivalry, and replace
Them with noble traits. Corruption wouldn’t have a place
And a system to banish wretched rogues should be there in place

“There shall be a huge furnace to roast the so-called ‘god-men’
Who do cheat the simple folk through diverse tricks and sermon.
Misusing your name, my Lord, they gather wealth and power,
As each unlettered minister has an advisor of this genre.

“In the world that we’ll make anew, none shall die of starvation
There shall not be people suffering social deprivation
Everyone shall enjoy mutual respect and dignity
None shall ill-treat others in the name of inferiority.

“Every man shall do some work that suits his age and health
None shall idle or keep in dark or hoard enlargeable wealth.
Untruth shall have no place there. So, all will reveal the truth.
And each will like to use his wealth for the good of all his kith.”


God heard me fully, thought and said “I accept it.
Return fast. Call all the men and announce that I’m at it.
When the new world’s ready, the old shall perish with every evil.
I’ll absorb the truthful men to the new world at my will.”

God signaled and Yama vanished. Two angels appeared in white,
And brought me down in flower-decked chariot meant
for the nobles’ flight.
Here I’m to herald the making of a much more beautiful world
Where men shall live with joy, peace and unstinted brotherhood!
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* Yama is the god of death in Hindu mythology