Where To Civilization? Poem by Gopaldas Neeraj

Whore to this world ?
What speed-Science ?
Which Way-History ?
What turmoil-Time ?
Is this that heavenly paradise of civilization ?
Where at every step there's a corpse
Where for a few glittering coins maidenhood is lost
Where jackals throng the Faded-flowers !

These smoldering houses, palaces, helmets
This famine-brought, apprehension
This doomed-earth, this Bomb-shelled sky
Is this science-man's invention ?

Endless stream of bright-blood as pall-bearer
Is this History's advance ?
Antagonism between Man and man
Is this Religion's progress ?

Bullet-marks on Book of Religion
Is this the continent of Christ, Shakespeare, Shelley ?
Is this the land of Gandhi, Subash ?
Atoms in hand, war-maps in mind
Is this the message of Lincoln, Washington, Eliot ?
Are these the teachings of Vedas-Upnishads and Gita ?

I meditate-
With this acceleration
Where to this Science and Earth
Take man's Destiny ?
For how long-
Will this world live ?
It's never too late, there's still time-
Leave these destructive armaments
Clear your eyes of the film of Gold
Love and eulogize this EARTH and
In Unison, Chant
That song of MOTHER EARTH
In Rhythm Eternal.

(Translated by R.P.Chaddah)