You are dying, Columbus.
I wish your corpse would
carry to your grave
the sins you committed
against whole races of
people,
my people, and all the
other people,
whom you held to ransom
in the name of a god and a
king and his queen.
What were you but a thief,
a murderer and a rapist?
You came armed with a sword
in one hand
and the Bible in the other.
Our women were naive to
welcome you
with gifts of parrots and
bales of cotton;
They showered their
hospitality on you
and made spears for your
men on your demand.
And you killed them with
those spears
after raping them.
Did your god smile
when you poured the
baptismal water
on our infants
who grew up to be
plunderers
of the earth
like you?
We were clay in your hands
and you moulded us
in your image.
We despise us
in your image.
PS: America is celebrating Oct
12 as Columbus Day.
Apt poem on Columbus Day. The atrocities Columbus committed on the natives do not find much mention in history though.
ReplyDeleteWhat's history but boasting of the victor?
DeleteRarest of rare thought! Profound, poignant and true...Wonderfully presented, sir!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amit ji.
ReplyDeleteHistory is full of controversies..Better not celebrate any such Days and just live in the moment!!
ReplyDeleteBut can we ignore history? Won't it haunt us anyway?
Delete