LEONARD DABYDEEN

 

LEONARD DABYDEEN

 

PEACE And BAPU Ji

 

Suno suno aye duniya waalon, Bapu ki ye amar kahaani

Listen, people of the world, to Bapu’s immortal story…

[Mahatma Gandhi : born Oct 2, 1869; assassinated Jan 30, 1948]

 

Poking

at each other

eye to eye, blinding the whole world

makes mediation so complex

for peace.

 

Conflicts

cannot resolve

territorial rights

based on our religious believes

God’s ONE.

Where hate

inflames the mind

and racism colours our

skin to scoff and scorn our canvas

seek Truth.

Gandhi’s

lesson is to

follow his legacy

stand deeply for  SATYAGRAHA

in Life.

Only

when Truth becomes

non-inflammatory

nations will relish its sweetness

for peace.

Poking

is no resolve

and racism colours our

stand deeply for SATYAGRAHA

for peace!

 

Racism

 

Deep in the colour of my skin, I live

Heart to heart and rumble for peace within;

I traverse this world for freedom, but give

Not my pride for prejudice or chagrin.

I walk not alone, but in footsteps

Where the journey is long, but dream is strong;

Where civil rights are mine, with no regrets

That civil liberty is never wrong.

Non-violence is my definitive creed,

Through Gandhian spirit I strive and breathe;

For you and I are equal without plead

Where discrimination is full of seethe.

Assassination leaves my world a cloud,

Racism cannot be dressed in any shroud.

 

 

Our Future World

 

“In the end all men have to die. He who is born

cannot escape death.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi – Speech

at Prayer Meeting, New Delhi, January 15, 1948.

 

They who live by their own chagrin, acquire

moth that spirals in their mind without peace;

fetch hate, animosity as desire

never to see our world a happy place.

 

Often times by foolish wit denigrate

our hopes and dreams far beyond squint of eye,

they criticize and also peculate

day by day they usher grandiose lie.

 

Step by step we massage Gandhian thoughts

and follow in faith a path righteous

ahimsa our kindled lamp against krauts

satyagraha our stand prestigious.

 

Walking in Mahatma’s footpath joyous

we build our future world so enormous.

LEONARD DABYDEEN

 

LEONARD DABYDEEN is a Guyanese-born Canadian freelance writer, critic, literary book reviewer (fiction and poetry), and Human Rights activist (Amnesty International). He is a graduate of the Univ. of Guyana and former Lecturer at the Government Teachers’ Training College in Guyana; a Licensed Paralegal (retired) under the Law Society of Ontario, and a Commissioner of Oaths and Affidavits in Ontario. He is a prolific poetry and book critic contributor to social media online, including Linkedin, FaceBook, PoemHunter.com, Trivenie-journal (India), Confluence South Asian Perspective.com (U.K.), Muse India e-journal (India), The Gandhi Way Newsletter (U.K.), Inspiration Peak.com (pen: STAReye), (former) Member of the Society of Classical Poets (U.S.A,), Muse-Pie Press.com (Fib Review and Shot Glass Journal), OUR POETRY ARCHIVE (OPA), Spectrum Publishing Poetry and Art (U.K.), Asian Literary Society, POEMarium, Poetry Central, English Poets and Writers’ Association of India, Writers World Poets Corner, Gurukul, STANDS4Network, InternetPoem.com, Power Poetry, VoicesNet.com, Poetry Soup, ARC Poetry.com, Formal Haiku The Art of 5-7-5, Setu Bilingual Magazine (U.S.A.); Life Member and Literary Critic of MetVerse Muse (India). Published author: Watching You, A Collection of Tetractys Poems, Xlibris Publications (2012); Searching For You, A Collection of Tetractys and Fibonacci Poems, Xlibris Publications (2015). Finding You, A Collection of short-form syllabic poems: tetractys, Fibonacci, Senryu, Haiku, Naani & cinquain (2021). Live in Ontario, Canada.