The crossing of road, the wading of tides,

the abated breath, the speaking eyes,

the valor of a helpless, the test of the land hither they flee or fear,

the earth too small to hold it’s children

the motherland has lost its motherhood

the innocent’s heart a victim of the battlefield for survival

Patriotism or Humanity?

Do or Die or Die to Do?

************

This poem is a sheer outcome of emotions that flowed after looking at this picture. A soldier, tasked to a battleground, succumbs to the helpless hands and eyes. The photographer, captured him offering a fruit to a kid. In that mini-second, the soldier, was put to choose between two beautiful causes – patriotism and humanity.

Why do we live in a world where the two are mutually exclusive? Who wins in this? Is this the world we proudly call home?

I tried to find the photographer and give him/her credit but couldn’t. Its taken from http://www.pexel.com.

Used for the writing challenge on Free Verse Revolution by Kristiana.