Poem: A Library’s Dream and Thoughtful Immersion by V. N. Giritharan

On this wondrous blue planet,
No matter which direction I gaze,
I witness it engulfed in flames of conflict.
Outside, you collide with one another,
Clashing incessantly.
I see rivers of blood swelling and surging.
Your frenzied games make it evident
That children, women, the elderly—none hold value to you.
I feel ashamed thinking of you.
Observing your antics, as if you are the rulers of this universe,
I can only laugh.
Before you lies a vast expanse.
Yet, seeing you buried in profound silence,
Noticing your solitude,
I am filled with pity for you.​You, who dance like spirits outside,
How is it that here, in silence,
Without any conflicts,
You sit side by side?
It is truly astonishing.​

Autocrats! Revolutionaries!
Upper-class individuals!
Members of high castes!
Brave ones! Cowards!
Regardless of gender,
People of diverse personalities,
You all sit closely together
Here.​

If only the understanding,
The friendship,
The civility
That exists among you here
Could be practiced outside as well,
How wonderful it would be,
I ponder.
I dream.
Immersed in thoughts of how this world would be
If my dream were to come true.