Masque Of Hollow Splendor Poem by AFFAQ NABI

Behold! the towers of gold invade the skies,
And cannons roar to shake the trembling stars;
Lo! painted mummers act with painted eyes,
Concealing famine's wounds, oppression's scars.
The nations hymn their pomp, their fleeting might,
Oh, babies cry beneath the blindfold night.
Old men lie down upon the stony floor,
While virgins sell their souls for crusts of bread;
The orphan wails beside the factory door,
Where tears of iron mix with labour's dread.
Mercy's sun breaks not their wintry air,
But tyrant hands enthrone the rich and fair.
This realm, a masque where transience is shown
Truth lies strangled, veiled in pride's dark throne.