Culture & Society

Poem: ‘Today’ By Durga Prasad Panda

Durga Prasad Panda writes a poem for Outlook.

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Durga Prasad Panda writes a poem for Outlook.
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Today no one was killed
By the unknown assailants. No one
Was assaulted on the lonely street.

Not a single drop of blood
Was shed anywhere
In God’s name.

No one was threatened
With dire
Consequences today.

Today no house was ransacked.
No mosque was razed to 
To dust anywhere.

Thoroughly fed up 
With this wretched life,
No one committed suicide.

No one was molested.
Not even a single hymen broken 
Without consent.

Today not a single bride
Was burnt for dowry. No child was sold
Anywhere for a handful of rice.

Strangely, no one was hacked
To death
Despite speaking the truth fearlessly.

Today was really a perfect day.

Today, all the newspapers
Of the country
Were on a day’s token strike.