A Salute To Martyrdom Poem by M. Asim Nehal

Come, let's pay homage to the martyr
He sacrificed his life for us
He was brave, a selfless fellow
Today when he is lying
On the beds of martyrdom
We must salute him
And pay homage with due respect
A friend in deep pain and
Tearful eyes said to his colleague,
Pat came the reply,
Please go ahead,
do what you think is right
He was just a friend to me
And like umpteen people
Who are living on earth.
Fighting and struggling for a livelihood
They all deserve the same
Why should I make a false claim
And praise my friend whom we have
Known for so many years
He too tried, to join like us for banking services
Gave several exams and interviews
When left with no choice
Joined the Army, although never liked
To get up early like us,
Never liked the disciplined life
Never wanted to be the slave of clock or time
Like us he too was a slave of fate and destiny
Whatever he did was for survival and livelihood
He lived a life worse than the bonded labour
Never ever enjoyed the luxury of travel
Never spent more than a few weeks with family
Never had time to sit with friends
Movies he saw was that of wars
His brain was trained and washed
They said, sacrifice is the essence of military life
Hardship is their bed and pain is like a pillow
They sleep only to defend and kill
They are the puppets in the hands of the mill
Today when I see him sleeping a peaceful sleep
I feel like kissing him on his forehead
My salute will be with my friend whom I lost in this system