A RED VALENTINE'S DAY - (TALES OF INCLUSIVITY) - #WriteAPageADay
Another Valentine’s
Day has come round once more,
Red hearts and love songs,
glorified notes and stuffed toys,
Romantic proposals on
bent knees and chocolates galore,
Pretty damsels wooed
by besotted young boys.
Three years ago, in
2019, on Valentine’s Day,
While the populace
blew red balloons and exchanged cards,
In a place called Pulwama,
an assault held sway,
As one dastardly militant swooped down on brave CRPF diehards.
An attack so
cowardly, so heinous was planned,
As 78 CRPF vehicles along the highway did rove,
From Jammu to Srinagar, all equally well manned,
An explosive-laden
vehicle into the convoy drove.
Forty precious lives
were lost in one fell stroke,
Many more were
injured and bled on the road,
Before they were
rushed to hospital, even as the news broke,
Precious lives lost that
the Nation could hardly afford.
State funerals were
afforded to the heroes martyred,
Bereaved families wept,
as their loved ones were extolled,
Candlelight marches
and vigils as the remains were interred,
A Nation in mourning,
as the extent of the tragedy did unfold.
Retaliations did
occur, across the border and over many a hill,
Surgical strikes went
in like lightning, lethal camps decimated
Of terrorists who
huddled like vultures, waiting for the kill
As the leaders of the
nation watched on with breath bated.
The glorious lives
that were lost can never be recovered, oh, never.
The Armed Forces stay
prepared, but the wounds never really heal,
These sacrifices
should not go in vain; martyrs’ names should shine on forever,
Their deeds should be
showcased, their dedication and their zeal.
However, as years go
by, do the memories grow dim?
As people live normal
lives, do they stop to think?
Of wars and
skirmishes, of encounters gory and grim?
Of those days when
the country was on the very brink?
On Valentine’s Day, right
after the Pulwama attack,
A young girl was
buying red hearts and cards to celebrate the day,
An Army jawan walked
by, went on, and then turned back,
Unable to stop
himself, he went up to her, to say,
“Madam, do you know it
is the Pulwama anniversary?”
Pointing to the television,
he continued, “Look at the news!”
The girl frowned a bit
and continued her shopping spree,
“It is Valentine’s
Day, and my prerogative to choose! “
Her words rang clear
and the jawan’s eyes flashed fire,
However, being well
trained not to react, he nodded and went away.
The irony was distinct;
even as fires raged, in an all-consuming pyre,
Red Valentine’s Day
was being celebrated in the selfsame way!
(I must credit and thank Mrs. Jayshree Menon for the idea contained in this poem. )
Word Count:
453
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