by William Dotani
Member since:
October 27, 2006

Mumbai

November 27, 2008 09:39 AM EST
views: 140 | rating: 9.1/10 (29 votes) | comments: 43

A horrible terrorist tragedy is Mumbai (Bombay) India has already claimed 104 lives, which includes the head of the city's security. I jotted down some verse out of my feeling of nothing I can do but pray frustration.




Violence is endless. What is the cause?
Yesterday's sins are embers quite ready
Flash into flames, cartographic mistake
Yes, and religion to fan the hatred
Young girl or boy, cruel world's toys
Young minds taught, seeks enemy slain
Similar to you and me, with difference
Power says walk and talk this way, we both dance

Beautiful day ruined. History goes on
Angry, surprised finger pointing politicians
Subject please. Notice the problem
Short range solutions, mop up, kill
The pot still quivering, molten lava
Violence evolving into mass civility
Innocence is left speechless and dazed
Mumbai of all places, doesn't seem right

Dial for dollars tactical force teams
Suppression of freedoms, awaiting attack
New York, Spain, England, Who's next?
The dove's shadow yearns for light
Young minds, molded tomorrows
Has love lost another generation, shame and sin
Has one bullet made an ounce of difference
Hopefully soon, courage to call all friend

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Comments: 43

Svetlana Goryacheva Nov 27, 2008, 9:49am EST
One of my Gather friends, Firoze, lives in Mumbai, very close to the epicenter of the tragedy. It was such a great relief for me to discover this very morning that he and his wife were alive and safe... but so many others have lost their lives. Yes, "the dove's shadow yearns for light"... thank you for your great, compassionate poetic response, dear William!

Blessings and best wishes - hopefully, peace and common sense will prevail someday - S.
Marianne M. Nov 27, 2008, 9:54am EST
Thank you for your insightful and perceptive words, Bill. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These sickening attacks on the innocent demonstrate the grave threat of terrorism everywhere.
Lisa Frost Nov 27, 2008, 9:56am EST
My sadness and grief at this tragedy is beyond my description at this point. You words are a beautiful response to such ugly hatred. Thank you dear William
Rose H. Nov 27, 2008, 10:00am EST
The dove's shadow yearsn for light - around the globe.

Such a tragedy, why of why can't we live in peace?
Hong Gao Nov 27, 2008, 10:21am EST
so sad
lynn a. Nov 27, 2008, 10:26am EST
William, I don't think anyone could have said this better. Before we learn to quit killing people we may very well lose another generation. It is so sad and tragic. Excellent writing.
Kushal Poddar Nov 27, 2008, 10:29am EST
Whose mistakes are they
and what right does the mistakes give
to take somebody's life somebody's light!
Thanks for this. I am still waiting to know the fate of a friend of mine.
John Doyle Nov 27, 2008, 10:33am EST
Great work as always. You never disappoint
Minakshi w. Nov 27, 2008, 10:56am EST
William, for all we know, through this site, ew have started a feeling/ reaction that will amke people sit up and think...
Your timely poetic contribution is such a welcome addition to the voices being raised against global terror.
My heartfelt thank you to you for this.
Wilma M. Nov 27, 2008, 11:41am EST
What a tragedy! Your words are so true and to the point. So many long for peace and we still have these dreadful outbreaks of violence. It's so sad.
Kimberly Ripley Nov 27, 2008, 12:06pm EST
This is such a horrible tragedy. All we can do is pray.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Alison H. Nov 27, 2008, 12:29pm EST
Thanks for expressing your feelings and ours here. I am speechless.
Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Nov 27, 2008, 12:55pm EST
This is such a horrible tragendy!
Marge H. Nov 27, 2008, 1:57pm EST
My prayers go out to the victims, their families and loved ones and all of the people of India.

Thank you for your heart felt poetry, William.
Curt L. Nov 27, 2008, 3:57pm EST
Wonderful writing, William.
Such a sickening tragedy.
Barbary Chaapel Nov 27, 2008, 4:02pm EST
William,

Your poem is one of many I've read today. I'm glad to have friends like you who write their hearts.

(Please keep one little corner of the day for your special day.)
Peter Joseph Swanson Nov 27, 2008, 4:55pm EST
Sad.

I saw footage of it last night on BBC and it looked just terrible !!!
This is such a tragedy and so sad.

Lets hope it ends with no more violence.
Well said, Bill!
Anne B. Grote Nov 27, 2008, 11:01pm EST
Thank you for your sincere feelings and desire to try to make sense out of this impossible state of violence without any purpose.
C C. Nov 28, 2008, 12:35am EST
this is just too sad
Molly O. Nov 28, 2008, 1:10am EST
A sickening and senseless tragedy.... beautiful poem.
JOHN BECK Nov 28, 2008, 4:22am EST
"The dove's shadow yearns for light
Hopefully soon, courage to call all friend"
Amen and amen!
Thank you, William.
Kushal Poddar Nov 28, 2008, 8:30am EST
Again thank you.
Rescued from a Terror Scene a>
William M. Nov 28, 2008, 10:04am EST
It is terrible that such things can happen.
Deloris Wright Nov 28, 2008, 3:51pm EST
I hope and pray that the world gets tired of killing each other. This is so sad. Thank you for the wounderful poem.
Bill,
Your verse expresses my feelings. I've been watch this on the news and can not even think of anything to say. It's horrific.
elizabeth e. Nov 28, 2008, 6:26pm EST
What more can be said, William....you really said it all. Such a tragedy...and yet, the killing does not stop here...violence begets violence...more blood will flow.
Donna C. Nov 28, 2008, 7:27pm EST
You wrote beautifully about an ugly situation.
It is so sad that it is all over our world.
Maybe the 'dove's shadow' will be able to see the light
before long.
Thank you William
Dr. Ashok Saxena Nov 28, 2008, 8:47pm EST
dear william ur very sensitive and quick reaction on a violent agony of Mumbai is very appealing I wish we could breed a culture of Gandhian love and tolerance in the young minds.Ur reaction will find a permanent storage in my memory as u have Judis rocks in ur memory Thanks a lot
necee t. Nov 28, 2008, 10:58pm EST
thank you William... this is very well written...
what a horrible tragedy... God bless everyone...
t b. Nov 29, 2008, 3:34am EST
Maybe they attacked India because we send so much out sourcing there?
Elsie Duggan Nov 29, 2008, 2:54pm EST
It is all so senseless and your poem is wonderful and brings it all out to the fore, thank you William, I just was watching more on TV, they still don't know how many were hurt or killed, I hope it doesn't start another war between Pakistan and India, saying they are blaming them now, but I still think it is just terrorism for the sake of it, will we ever go back to where it was unheard of?
Bhawana 'Gather Proud Mom' Dec 1, 2008, 2:45pm EST
Your poem touches my soul.
Donald M. Dec 1, 2008, 8:16pm EST
All this uprising and terror is just to saddening today. The world is in horror, not knowing where it will be tomorrow, the terrorist strike. Great poem William
sheila h. Dec 1, 2008, 11:30pm EST
I rated this and posted Saturday afternoon ..and *poof* gone!
sigh..Gather....
sheila h. Dec 1, 2008, 11:37pm EST
Still the pain and futility resonates. Since you penned this I find the events reach and touch through others like a grapevine's tendrils reaches and wraps ..a very dear friend of mine has not heard from her cousin and her husband ..they had traveled to the Taj Mahal Hotel for holidayand were there the eve on the attack...

as Reena asks ..'Wonder Where this world headed?"...

'Who is next 'as you ask?
What can be done ?
When will the madness end....
..you write truth..
Kay M. Dec 2, 2008, 1:40pm EST
You are right. Not one bullet makes an ounce of difference and the madness continues. Violence begets violence.
William Dotani Dec 2, 2008, 2:38pm EST
Pray for the friends and family of the victims. May God comfort these people.
Kelly M. Dec 8, 2008, 12:55am EST
Thanks for paying it forward to me!
Michelle W. Dec 12, 2008, 8:41pm EST
Beautiful work.

My personal comment on the little I have seen ... It does no good to blame anyone else. The FACT is, we EACH have a choice in how to behave and in the attitudes we choose. (Case in point, Vickor Frankl's book MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING). Those who commit the acts of violence ARE RESPONSIBLE ... and WE are responsible to know a better reality!

I love your poetry!

Thanks for posting in Journey Into Poetry !
Glome . . . Dec 13, 2008, 4:34pm EST
There is so much tragedy; all shown on TV. We see the agony day after day. Sometimes it is almost more than we can take. We used to hear mostly about our own city. Then America. Now the world. Sometimes my mind can't take it. Every human is just like me ... and I can't carry every human's pain. Sometimes I just leave the TV off.

The thing that gives hope is God. He is willing and able to carry each of us. Hope to a chaotic world.

Thanks again William. Well done.

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