Shiqran Sharfuddin, Poetry 2022 Shortlist

 That Hour Has Come!

(Part 1)   

As I passed through the threshold,

Some cautious Signs were being displayed,

With actions so ominous, questioning:

"Does the Hour have a Knowledge that

You can know it by?"

A suspicious pause ensued,

Provoking me to think, think and think...

Oh Yeah! And those Signs

Everyone has to learn them,

Prior to their taking place...

So that, they can recognise that Hour,

When they see those Catastrophes!

And that Hour exhibited shamelessly,

The trust-worthies as the liars

And liars as the honest ones!

Criminals becoming the law-makers,

And money influencing the judgement;

Liars' blabbers getting listened in zeal

And guiding sermons getting dumped in the bin;

"These are the Signs!"

Listen, you deaf! the clock is ticking...

And that Hour finally arrived,

Which had been predicted-

Renowned swindlers controlling the Markets,

And the Hypocrites ruling the Kingdoms;

Interest Banking ruling the world,

Making rich richer and poor poorer;

Acid starts raining and rain becoming a curse

Also, the rain harvesting the drought;

"These are the Signs!"

Lo Mankind! Open the eyes!

Dishes working restlessly

And one severing his blood ties;

Wide world shrinking just as a village

And one doesn't visit his sick neighbour;

That will really be a hazardous threat,

When architectures get designed ornamentally,

Skyscrapers start kissing the skies,

And Old parents rotting in Old Age Homes!

"These are the Signs!"

Books will be million in number

And illiteracy will be everywhere;

Foolish will have high respect

And Scholars shall be thrashed apart;

Knowledge will be learned,

For the only sake of worldly gain;

And Number of preachers will increase,

But, Preachers themselves will practice not,

What they preach!

"These are the Signs!"

Beats of music will be everywhere

And woeful wail will not be heard;

Haridos will start resembling the Bactrian Camels,

And men will be women and women will be men;

"These are the Signs!"

Those are Deaf, Dumb and Blind,

They'll never return to the Path;

Even after being shown a thousand signs!

They'll rule that hour!

For which of these Signs will ye deny?

These are the indeed Signs,

For the men of better understanding,

“That Hour has now come!!!”