Poetry

Tim Dennell photo

By

Ashish Kumar Pathak

New Zealand

For many this may not have been

the place they were born,

but for many this was land

of their profound choice,

the place that they chose

to come and committee themselves to,

the place they chose

to raise their lives and families,

but the attacks were out of character

for this beautiful, peaceful

and so naive a country,

a place associated with peace

and prosperity all around,

Just because one or two individuals

have taken this stand,

it doesn’t mean there is an attack

on people living in this Zealand,

nor has it become unsafe for upkeep

for any reason, religion and region,

it was an isolated crime so terrible

and so unequal a tragedy,

the prime minister showed

she is a human first and

not even a politician at last,

the whole New Zealand remains

shocked,  in remorse and aghast.

Ashish Kumar Pathak

Ashish Kumar Pathak is a middle school teacher posted in the Munger district of Bihar province (India). He has a letter of appreciation from the President of India for his poem. Recently his works of poetry have been featured in many national and international anthologies.