The Ruins Of Hampi Poem by Natarajan Ramaseshan

Ruins now reign in Hampi,
the capital of ' Victory Kingdom'.

Vanquished and vandalised,
maimed and marauded, it
lies lamely and tamely on the
heap of history
lamenting its
lustrous legacy
lost.

Splendid statues were
simply beheaded
or their
elegant limbs were
arrogantly amputated by
anger and animosity

Superb sculptures were
smashed and shattered by
a strong surge of
sordidness and senselessness.

Enchanting carvings were
eerily hacked and effaced-
all effected by
envy and endless
enmity.

Tops of towers were
torched, tarnished, torn
and ripped apart like
timid toys with
thuggish delight.

Reduced to rubbles,
destroyed and dilapidated by an
alien army's
annihilating axes,
crushing crowbars,
horrible hammers,
fearsome fire and
frightful ire-
it is not yet
'finished'!

Yes!
Hampi has risen from its rubbles and ruins-
as ' UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE ',
where once culture reached its height.

Our hoary past is now a story.
History's pages let us turn.
A lesson or two also learn.
And make the flame of wisdom always burn!