Green Meadows and Red Stains

The gorgeous hills, vales and mellow slopes

The green meadows, the serene quiet spots

Ringed by snowcapped high rise mountains

Neatly dotted with pine and fir forests

Mini Switzerland with the fame it boasts

With joy ridden Pahalgam-the name triumphs.

They came with dreams and fantasies

To Baisaran meadow, full of charm and grace

Far from South, East, West, and North

Families, newly-weds, children and friends

Some were dancing, some were on reels

Some on mobile clicks for WhatsApp posts

Some on pony rides, some on treks and jaunts.

All at once, silence shattered, hearts were torn,

As bullets rained on a fine tranquil afternoon

Fuelled by hate, the bigots crossed borders

Picked and killed with sectarian colours

Heads of men were slayed at point blank

Made wife, mother to cry to their last brink

Turned the green meadow with deep red stains.

No god, no faith, this perverted creed

Can ever justify this vile and heinous deed

The screams of innocents’ echo in the hills

Dreams of the ill-fated resonate in vales

With anguish, the millions curse the meadows.

Those who came for joy and fun, had a trust

Were sure to  return safely to their nest

Alas! Now they are lying silent in the dust

Voice needs to be raised and let truth not fade

Let the mask be exposed behind sharp blade