Israel-Hamas War- May Mercy And Peace Be The Grace Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

War shall forever be a war
with soldiers firing gunshots,
with bombs falling incessantly
on houses and apartments,
causing loss of lives and injuries;
causing damage to homes
and neighborhoods;
making families in thousands to flee,
turning them either homeless
or into refugees elsewhere;

And as war gains momentum,
peace loses its significance,
demolition of unity commences
as families keep falling apart
but the pain keeps fermenting in their hearts,
making hostility to recur
making enmity to escalate;
war keeps causing more deaths
day after day,
more violence, more tragedies;
and as retaliation surges
merciless are those
who indulge in war
as no one selects to surrender
or to abandon their grudges.

And as the clock keeps ticking
and taking hatred ahead,
generations continue
with their legacies of war
and revenge surfaces
like a rain cloud suddenly
showering bombs and missiles
on innocent people and children
as if vengeance has greater value than life;

and as war will forever be a war,
it spells its decision and direction,
it dictates soldiers do their duties;
and they defend their countries
with sullen patriotism;
they fight the enemies
recklessly, furiously as soldiers
not realizing the crimes they are committing;

where does this all lead to?
what is the end game and fame worth?
what is the consolation in a war?
how does one win the goal
or does one face many penalties?
And as war creates jeopardy,
all voices speak the same story,
someone says a prayer
someone utters words of disgust
but everyone asks-
is this humanity or antipathy?
is this education or illiteracy
has there been a pre-estimate of injuries?
has there been a pre-calculation of loss of lives
or is everything just fair
in war and vengeance?

The elderly, old and sick, sit back helplessly
unable to run they ponder -
why was there no warning bell
that the war was commencing?
how can people be caught so unaware
how can life be extinguished so abruptly
how can minds forget the atrocities?
where will eyes hide their streaming tears
which night will stop the recurring memories
how will injustice recede its relapse
how will survival guarantee its promise?

And as nations keep fighting each other so fiercely,
when will distress discard the trauma from the anguish
when will time extinguish those harrowing memories
when will war stop its mercilessness
when will war itself write off its wrath and sorrow
when will the bugle of peace reverberate
when will one nation forgive one another
when will mercy and peace be their common grace?