How to Build A-tomb (A Poem)
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 11 Apr 2011
S. P. Udayakumar – TRANSCEND Media Service
To build anything, my dear friend,
You must be clear what it is you want.
A birth house to celebrate the arrival of an infant,
A way home to feed the hungry or protect the orphans,
A temple to congregate and turn to the Heavens,
A road to the stream, or a school with nuance,
A fort of strength, palace of power, or tower of glory,
A Taj Mahal for the love of your life with a story.
A mausoleum for mother or father or people’s leader,
Or a pyramid as a heavenly possessions’ feeder.
To build anything, my dear friend,
You must have a plan and blueprint.
Building of life begins in a tender womb
Before it reaches the final resting place of tomb.
Proceeds to erect many a thing with room
For individuality, originality and creativity vroom.
But if you’d rather start from death and build A-tomb,
Tomb with an A and A stands for Atom,
Tomb for the Alive and for All future generations,
What can I say with all my reservations?
To build A-tomb, my crooked friend,
Imitate the merchants of death and defend.
Claim “the road to Doom is paved with good intentions”
Superior science, bombs, national pride and pretensions.
Take tons and tons of public money
And make sure there isn’t scrutiny any.
Promise the Stars and everything under the sky
Knowing well that you will hardly fly high.
Bribe those who threaten with account checks
And check the strong with untrue accounts.
Say blatant lies but never speak a word of truth,
Shower non-truths, half-truths and nothing of worth.
Never admit anything wrong, commits or omits,
Remember “it’s all within the permissible limits”.
Serve the State that keeps your secrets
And the MNCs that seek more profits;
And anyone else must face your wrath.
Deny, defer, deceive with silent breath!
Dialogue, Debate, Democracy – No, No!
Dictate, Debase and Debar all you know.
Institute a Department of New Clear Vision
With the same old unclear bureaucratic mission.
Think of yourself, your science and career;
Never think of the people or show remorse.
Surround them with emissions, effluents, radiations
Of energy glows and development radiance.
Kill them slowly, softly and silently please,
Entomb them with the Atoms for Peace!
And ready is your haunting A-tomb
Next to the “Atoms for War” catacomb.
Wuhan, China – April 5, 2011
_________________
S.P. Udayakumar, Ph.D. – Tamil Nadu, India spudayakumar@gmail.com:
* South Asian Community Center for Education and Research (SACCER)
* TRANSCEND Network, South Asia Convener (TSA) (For Rethinking South Asia)
* People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)
* National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM) (For a Nuclear-Free India that has No Deals, No Mines, No Reactors, No Dumps, and No Bombs).
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 11 Apr 2011.
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