In The Land Of Ashes Poem by Rasheed Sandeelvi

Prose Poem by Rashid Sandeelvi

In the shadows of ashen nights,
Mosques, churches, synagogues—
Are but marks of burning dreams.
Deep scars mar the heart of the sky,
And the earth, weary from its wounds,
Lies helpless.

The tongue of fire asked neither about faith
Nor the sacred secrets of walls.
They were merely structures breathing life,
And we called them divine.
We believed they were holy,
Yet before the flames, all were equal.

Was it a calamity or an accident?
Perhaps such questions are futile,
For the laughter of nature
Does not heed the tears in our eyes.

These trees, these homes, these places of worship—
They all belong to the same soil.
In this land of ashes,
Who now speaks of religion?

This burning wind—
It belongs to us all.
This fear, this loss—
It is shared by everyone.

Will we still laugh,
Or perhaps we will learn
That holiness resides not in walls,
But in hearts that speak the name of humanity.