Retribution?!?!

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If I knocked on your door for a cup of water
for my parched throat,
Would you be able to tell,
I am not your next door neighbor..?

If not, then, why this thirst for my life.. ????

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Near these foothills,
of some of the world’s coldest mountains..
I hear stifling noises of the guns..
And muted tones from the aftermath..

Is that you next to me, your dirty hands,
and beautiful face lying motionless.. ??
Like brothers separated at birth,
I feel a connection..

I feel your warm blood trickle down my body..
It runs deep..
Like the Line of Control..
If not for our stubborn country men,
we would have been together and alive..

Now, the scent of blood churns my stomach..
A cloud of snow dust and ice blinds me..
And flashes of my young life scroll in fast forward..

I will miss you, my brother.. Can I call you that?
And I will miss your help in saving this world..
No one is born into this world alone,
and I am glad I have your company in death..

The clear water from the melted ice,
the sounds of loved ones over the wire..
The unmistakable determination of the gleaners
who will look for us,
now in shreds and pieces..
Is all we have..

The family in the dwelling was overjoyed at my arrival,
just 22 years ago..
You don’t look a day older than me..
Life will evaporate in this darkness..
Leaving behind our mothers too proud to shed a tear..

While our countries thrive in mutual derision..
In death –
a border patrol,
a check point,
a misguided mission and
love for the country will keep us united..

Let’s say no more my friend,
our countries have gone back to
preaching love, brotherhood and peace..
So, let’s listen..

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Like many countries in the world, there is a conflict between India and Pakistan, the two countries bordered with some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world, the Himalayas.. The above is an attempt at understanding the unfathomable impacts of war and conflict on young lives, mother nature and our future generations..

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Originally composed on: 1/15/2013, 4:18pm

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Poetry