Poems by
Anup Chandran V

Not in my name

a poem by Anup Chandran V

Strut your strength by all means,
Shut out the irritants and gain,
Police the world on your ‘truth’,
And see your pain as the greater pain,
But when you say, you do it for me,
Then I beg to refrain,
not in my name, brother,
Not in my name.

Presume the role of the ‘messiah’,
Speak the language of fervor,
Take pride in your lead and savor,
And fantasize on your utopia,
But when you harvest your crop of hate,
And you say, you do it for me,
Then I beg to refrain,
not in my name, brother,
Not in my name.

Feel your freedom as ‘the’ freedom,
Believe your belief as the gospel faith,
Assume the ‘leader’ mantle,
if it is your wont
but when you preach,
what you don’t perceive
And you say, you do it for me,
Then I beg to refrain,
not in my name, brother,
Not in my name.

The bombs that you drop,
Shower your backyard,
The force that you use,
Gets used against you,
The fear that you evoke,
Becomes your nightmare,
As you face your indignity,
And you say, you do it for me,
Then I beg to refrain,
not in my name, brother,
Not in my name.