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Sunday 7 September 2014

Song of the Faithful

I just met a non-believer,
Ah, the same old tiff again.
It has dragged on for decades and centuries,
Not a suitable place for the sane.

What has religion given us,
but war and blood, you say?
We'd all be machines with gears gone awry,
if it weren't for the beliefs that still hold sway.



Yes, there are differences,
and yes, there are bitter conflicts.
Snarls and threats flying about,
tearing wider and greater the gaping rifts.

Yes, there is smoke and gore,
unnecessary spite and scorn.
Teeth bared, dripping venom,
tongues lashing out words that burn.

Why hasn't the world fallen apart?
Why is man not yet extinct?
Darwin would've been mighty confused,
Survival of the fittest, as he'd boastfully inked.

No, Charles, here you might have gone wrong,
Nature seems to love these fools.
And by the looks of things, apparently,
they aren't dying out any time soon.

Oh, so what is it, my dear fellows,
that holds us together in one place?
What was that? Say it again!
The flame of science that you blaze?

Sure, if that's what you want to believe,
who am I to counter you there?
You're the intellectual(pseudo, if you ask me),
I'm just a blinded fool, blissfully unaware.

But hark here, O my sceptic friend,
and please do pay heed.
The ones you judge us by,
always happen to be of the wrong breed.

Radicals and extremists,
fanatics and hard cores.
You decide our nature by them?
These humans on all fours?

That's just sad, I say,
to generalize the majority.
Setting store by a few monsters,
rather than those of clear minds, unshackled and free.

We're not proud of them
we hate and despise them more than you.
A blot on all the pure souls,
Souls untarnished and true.

Pull them out by the roots, you declare.
End the religious farce.
But pray tell me, O clever thinker,
doesn't that seem a bit too harsh?

For if it was left up to you,
there'd be no emotions in the land.
Just products of a biochemical reaction,
simply a result of some over-active gland.

I concur, that science is a saviour of life,
that it keeps illness bound and sealed.
But the journey back to sound health?
That's the domain of Hope, not science's field.

Faith is Hope, good pal.
Faith is an oasis in the sand.
We'd despair without it,
reduced to a sorry race, bleak and bland.

Agreed, you've got the right to your view,
to follow the rational train of thought.
Free to ridicule and sneer,
that our beliefs account to naught.

But no matter what you throw at us,
however much you mock with naked glee.
We are of the Faith over here,
and of the Faith we will be.

So the quarrel shall go on and ever on,
I'm afraid it has no end.
Great fodder for an endless debate,
seemingly, almost Godsend.

Come, all ye Faithful!
Let us say a prayer for them.
For Atheism is a religion, too,
the only one with quiet mayhem.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing!you have progressed bunches saad!!!!

Simran Malhotra said...

Its good. It really is.
Also, if religions have prevented us from being machines, it has also made us aggressive.
(Not countering, just saying)

Unknown said...

Absolutely terrific
Loved it.

Aditya Chaudhari said...

Really nice work bro
Loved it
Literature ki technicalities toh nahi jaanta, but still itna samjha ke u really did good

Priya Colaco said...

R u some mad genius!
U rock
I am a fan, wish u teach some of ur poetry after some years at the MA level.
Everyone has this thing that creates ripples in the mind. For me, it's religion. I completely loved it! Meri taraf se 1st prize.

Yasir Shaikh said...

Mashallah brother, it's too good! But I'm afraid only intellectuals can understand the entire poem. Not stupid people like me. Lots of new and complex words used. I was feeling like reading one of the best poets in the world, seriously. Carry on bhai. Best wishes and prayers for you. Let me know about any of your next poems.

Unknown said...

I must say i was a bit skeptic about this one at first , but without a doubt it is a masterful composition with a clear and elucidating message and a few refreshing analogies ! Great job ! liked the Darwin thing , especially.

simranhatkar said...

Very neatly written... Great work saad!!

Aparmita Mishra said...

Very profound! It's very matured; amazing language. I like the way u have merged atheism and science. The way the thought has been developed. Great work!

Vishwajeet Desale said...

No, Charles,... What a stanza! Great my dear friend!

Pranati said...

Dude; everyone should read this! I Know you did this before; but I love it!

Pratiksha said...

Hats off!