The year is 2030

bullets rain like first spring of cherry blossoms

combing out weeds of growth

our men they who drank their mother’s milk

now taint the city with chants of Him

They who prayed and those who sinned now utter blasphemous the seven deadly

He the stalwart branded the savior now flourishes and feasts on the fear of others

I write with animosity

under the lamp flickering

the cowardly act of honor I dare not venture too deep

lest faced with the fate of few Bravehearts

prisoners of His twisted vices

exceeding Gogh and his canvas art

captivated His theatrics outshine His own repeatedly

devoted to mind and soul

devoid of emotions our own

solidarity the branding mark of respect

but muffled voices still echo the halls

pained hearts who’d seen their children last fall

No cheerful laughter light up the frosted pathways

no glimmer of hope could offer respite anymore

In this endless chasm of despair and despondence

the world now seems shrunken

let hell lose

let all go astray

when muzzled hounds start barking

when all animals are out of the jungle

ANOUSHKA MUKHERJI

The poem here is set in a dystopian era where an apocalyptic situation has ensued. As a result, the country is not dictated by a powerful antagonist who dominates and suppresses its people. The countrymen do not have free speech anymore. Those who tried to raise their voices against the injustice have met with worse fate. The poet expresses how grim like the situation he is facing and desires for freedom. This short poem is a brief description of the novel 1984 a novel by George Orwell. Draconian laws have been imposed on the poor countrymen and all of them live in fear of the dictator. The law-abiding citizens are not given a chance to woe or weep for their dead children who have been taken captive by the soldiers to keep their parents in check. All the kids have been put behind bars or executed. In this era, you are not allowed a mind of your own nor to have an opinion. Doing so would only lead to a fate worse than death for you. The poet expresses what might happen in later times when chaos would erupt and democracy would no longer exist. Bullets are scattered at every corner of the country and the country is in a bad condition. The poet says that it seems like the animals are now governing our country devoid of all of humanity and conscience, it is a warlike situation. It seems that the country is nostalgic for simpler times when democracy was still alive and people still had free speech and a mind of their own. There is perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance in the future and the government neglects important matters. The country is wrecked and you have to follow His advice and His religion. Here ‘His’ signifies the government who runs the entire nation. The poet writes in secrecy for fear of conspiring against the government and being put behind bars.