How Good, Legal Edifice? Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

What with tonnes of evidence on the floor,
Riots of words, piles of foolscap pages,
The lady still losing sight of her shore,
And trials trudging on take up ages.

The Hammer of justice strikes in decades—
If at all, ever hesitant to strike,
The fervour when into oblivion fades,
When, to have won or lost look nigh alike.

The face of justice— vain apology,
Ladyship lost in spate of evidence,
Shaking up our fast-melting confidence,
Last words sounding like mournful elegy!

What with delays, defaulting dates that stare
At poor plaintiff, justice as if purblind,
In tall concern pretending still to care,
Though callous to the core, cloaked to look kind.

What with the chair focussed, nor always just,
Corruption cutting into deepest core,
What with legal chariot far from robust,
Lady honesty thrown from bolted door!

What with her face flaunting still false prestige,
Rights reserved to honour vaguest pride still,
And breach of false privilege laying siege,
Poor doubting toms had better not cavil.

With such scenes how far would the Justice get?
Not far if its weak frame is let to stat.
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1. Fool's: Foolscap pages of evidence and judgment—a pun.
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Satire | 03.07.07 |