A Rainy Morning in Summer

K Radhakumar

I dream of a beautiful country
Peopled by beautiful minds
And highly cultured persons.
My beautiful country
It is a nuclear free country.
There in the beautiful country
There is no record of
Human rights violations.
There nobody lives at
Or below the poverty line (BPL).
Nobody breaks the law
And hence nobody appears in court;
There is no requirement of
Civil and criminal courts
Jails and khaki-clad, baton wielding security personnel.
No hospitals are seen;
We see only healthy people
Healthy animals and healthy trees.
Health care for all
Does not figure
In the election manifesto of political parties.
Nor is full employment a campaign slogan.
There is no demand for
Equal rights and justice.
Equality before law
Disarmament
Shantih or peace which passeth understanding –
These are not concepts
But are a way of life for the people
Of the beautiful country.

I do not know why
I dream of a beautiful country.
Maybe I am young
Maybe I am dreamy and not practical.
It is a long, long night
And I do not wake to a clear and sunny morning.
When I wake early in the morning
I see dark clouds gathering on the horizon
And I know it will pour with rain.
Mounting tension along the border
The headline news greets me.