O Land Of Flowing Rivers And Towering Trees Poem by Mohammad Younus

O land of flowing rivers and towering trees,
Rich in minerals, veiled in emerald seas,
Forgive me!
I could not halt the hands of greed,
The looters who came with ruthless speed,
Stripping thee of treasures never theirs to claim,
Defiling the beauty of thy sacred name.

The gems that glowed upon thy face,
I failed to shield from vulgar gaze.
I could not cry—
'Turn back! This land is ours alone!
Touch not my deodar, my conifer groves,
Steal not the currents my rivers compose.
Do not breach my walls, undo my decree,
Nor stain my land with strange decree.'

What will my silence reap in time?
What seeds of loss will fate enshrine?
In sorrow now, I grieve unseen,
Bound by regret, lost in between.

— Mykoul


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