Sunday, September 14, 2008

Memories of three months ago

Published in News Front, #71, 16-22 June, 2008

A Crown Forsaken

The king departs the palace today
Unsung and unlamented some say
But the Crown remains where it belongs
In the hearts of true Nepalis

Misjudgments three years ago
Drove foes to coalesce
Foes of every colour
Seeking power, not the nation’s good

Jammed between two big powers
Hostage to one especially
We became a pawn
In the game of geopolitics

A bloated assembly supposed to be over six hundred
With twenty-six members glaringly absent
Declared the nation a republic
Sans debate, sans referendum, sans justice

The army stood by silently
Perhaps not called to save the crown
Perhaps bought off by all and sundry
But it did stand by silently

Peace, peace – everyone wants this
And peacefully has the king left
And at what cost peace?
Maybe by selling our nationhood

A New Nepal is the call of the day
So let us see the novelty of a new government
If they can only stop haggling for power
To give the people what they seek

Democracy, unity, independence, development
Will construct a New Nepal
Not the mindless demolition of a useful institution
But the crown remains where it belongs.


29 Jaystha 2065/11 June 2008

3 comments:

Govind said...

Great poem,Horatio, but its too late to root for the Crown!
Let`s give the politicians benefit of doubt and hope that they learn the art of government and pray that in a decade the country will sail smoothly!
Govind

Anonymous said...

Hello there.
I kinda like your poems, man, maybe you should write more poetry `n less commentary-know what I mean?
Chow!

HORATIO said...

Thanks for the poetry appreciation, Anon; wish I knew who you were to thank you personally. Plz note however that the poem is in itself a commentary. Thanks anyway.

Govind, I am all for giving the republicans and communists the benefit of doubt. But if we have to give them a decade to get this country back on the road, we will be so far behind that you and I will seriously have to consider emigrating in our old age. Am not rooting for the crown currently, despite being a firm believer in multi-party democracy with a constitutional monarchy. Mind you, I am speaking of the "institution", not any particular king.

I urge all visitors to this site to engage Govind and me on this issue.