Grenade Poem by Nazmul Haque

Envy is not for envy's sake, but....
of love I speak,
because I'm only of love's born.

Some eyes hide within them the rage of burning fire;
From outside, he seemed like cool, calm water-
a soft, silent person,
But from inside he held the raging fire-
burning inside his heart.

Anger is not only for anger's sake, but..
It was love that drove me out from home to the war-field,
Blood is not only for blood's sake, but...
Out of love I devoured it into my throat,
And held the exploding grenade firmly
inside my grip with fearless courage.

There is in it a wounded heart inside that grenade,
And a dewy rose that is shivering within-
waiting to be bloomed into a new flower,
And there is in it also the sleeping dream and desire-
waiting to be exploded through the invisible humanity.

War is not only for war's sake, but..
Bangladesh, oh my mother, to offer you
my birth-day gift, through a river of blood-
I've brought this grenade.