A New Dawn

 

She opened her eyes to a new dawn  

Though it was nearly midnight  

And smiled at the thought of her bleak world  

Being filled with light  

They had finally done it 

They had sent away the invaders 

They had driver away the tyrants 

Who came the guise of traders

   

Pride filled her heart  

As she thought of those who had fought to death  

Who never gave up

Who defended her with their last breath 

   

She would no longer be chained 

For freedom they had won 

So many had sworn to do it  

And now it was done  

Each day would no longer hold pain  

Each breath would no longer be torture  

She would be now be a free bird  

With the chance of a future  

But despite all this 

Her joy was tainted with sorrow  

For things would never be the same  

When the world awoke in the morrow  

Her own children were divided  

They were now at war with each other 

They fought and they destroyed  

They killed their fellow brother  

She was the cradle of the human race 

The birth place of human speech  

The mother of all the major religious  

Equality and fraternity, she should teach 

   

Yet here were her own children  

Acting neither virtuous nor kind  

Forgetting that Hindu-Muslim, high-low 

Exist only and only in the mind 

With an iron hammer  

You can hit both iron and gold  

But it is iron that cries out 

Though both are forced to mold  

'It strikes closer to the heart  

When the blow is made by one you call your kin' 

She thought with infinite sadness  

As she listened for noises in the din 

There was a disturbance outside her cell 

And in walked three men with steps sedate 

Nehru, Mountbatten and Jinnah entered 

Bringing only goodwill and no hate 

All three knelt before her  

All three paid her homage  

"Rise", she told them  

"Rise for we must begin a new age" 

"Mother", Nehru began concerned  

"You look tense  

Is something amiss 

Do you not celebrate our independence?" 

She wanted to cry out in frustration at this 

Wanted to scream how they never gave her a choice  

Before tearing her apart like they didn't care 

But she did not give her thoughts voice  

Instead she forced herself to relax  

And pretend that everything was alright  

As she greeted a new dawn  

While the clock chimed midnight