Does the bell toll for the ones who kill
without the consent of kings and generals? I hear birdsongs become terribly still.
We organise the queues to heaven and hell
segregate the saints and shove the criminals. Does the bell toll for the ones who kill?
The bullet’s picked out from flesh, but until
the trigger’s broken the gun is functional. I hear birdsongs become terribly still.
The puppets just show the puppeteer’s skill,
snakehoods sway at the charmer’s recital. Does the bell toll for the ones who kill?
No women keen when he leaves his cell
the news despatch is clipped and official. I hear birdsongs become terribly still.
The young must die as old men turn to evil
there is no peace, unbroken storm no lull. Does the bell toll for the ones who kill?
I hear birdsongs become terribly still.
Shared with poets for OpenLinkNight @ dVerse
Very profound! Absolutely wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteUtterly poignant! Very impressive, Nilanjana!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruby. So nice to see you here!
DeleteThe last repetitive lines (2) are powerful images ~
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely share ~ Thank you for sharing it ~
Thank you for stopping here. Much appreciate the feedback!
Deleteintriguing questions you ponder in this...and not an easy one...in my earlier age i was all for capital punishment, i tend to swing the other way now if we can help them become productive members of society....the way our system works now it is not a deterant and you can see that in the statistics....beyond all that....really a powerful verse....the repetition works really well and bring those lines together to close as well works great.
ReplyDeleteIt is always a bad option in my view, but sometimes there is no other option. No easy choices...as was the case with a young man executed last week for the Mumbai attacks of 2008...a 25 year old, doped on hate by much older people, who remain safe in their hidey holes and send guys like him to kill, and then face execution. How to treat/punish/rehabilitate them?
DeleteThank you for the feedback, both on the verse and the issue.
the villanelle form with the repetition makes that all the more striking
ReplyDeleteit is not an easy question...and i dont know that we have found an answer that works on a broad scale honestly....i hate to say it but some have a propensity to violence....
ReplyDeleteWonderfully crafted Villanelle--a form I find quite challenging but you've pulled off without a hitch.
ReplyDeleteSo much to think about here...nd yes, you have managed a flawless Villanelle. Love the repetition and the questions to ponder.
ReplyDeleteProfound and a great write.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments here, much valued
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and such a sad statement of our times. Maybe this should be read in congress when just passing a bill for gun applications is questioned.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done!
Thank you, Yolanda! We've let ourselves get into very complicated situations with this one, sadly.
Delete