Pahalgam

O Pahalgam, where rivers softly glide, And pine trees whisper peace from every height, Why weep thy winds with sorrow amplified? Why turn thy dawn to ashes from delight? The meadows bloomed with laughter, not with fear, Till hatred masked in holy guise drew near. A family’s joy, a child’s voice pure and clear Now echoes lost in cries none wish to hear. O sacred land, thy silence now laments, For those who fell where they had come to heal. No creed commands such dark malevolence, No god delights in wounds that never seal. If faith be love, let swords no more be drawn Let peace, not pain, arise with each new dawn. Rajeev.........