An Appeal to God
O God!
I’ve heard that
you plan to visit the earth?
You’re most welcome!
But during your visit
don’t get surprised
if you find people being silent here.
They aren’t dumb actually.
Their silence is more telling.
In order to understand them
you’ve to have a sympathetic ear.
O Omnipotent!
Some people of this planet
speak a lot.
They make difficult and impossible things sound
easy and possible.
Don’t listen to them.
You too might be tricked by their words.
If possible,
don’t go to the capital cities
those people live there.
O Greatest of the great!
If you want to see the real earth,
walk on footpaths
or visit slums.
You will see
how your children spend their lives.
You will find that
they may be homeless
but they are very fond of you.
You are remembered by them
and not by the rich
who you are fond of –
for you bestow everything on them.
O Merciful!
Since you’ve decided to visit this planet
I have only a few requests to make.
Could you please
wipe the word ‘war’ from man’s brain?
Take this thing called ‘racism’ with you
and throw it into the Atlantic Ocean.
And if you can
please arrange to run a country
without a politician…
O Omniscient!
You know that
in my country Nepal
in Kathmandu
it’s difficult even to breathe.
So with Bagmati1, Swyambhoo2 and all
take it somewhere else
where there is a fresh breeze.
But O God
please see that
in this reorganization of cities
nothing happens to my village.
Let it stay where it is
and make sure that
the girl, Suntali,
who was sold in Mumbai
returns home safely.
1 Bagmati = a river in Kathmandu, 2 Shwaymbhoo = a monastery in Kathmandu