Who Desires War?

Who Desires War?

Neither the rulers —

Nor the ruled —

Yet the whole world lies shattered,

Under proclamations of war,

Under tyrants’ cruel commands.

East to West, North to South,

Everywhere, the cries of battle rise,

Echoing slogans of conflict and strife.

Though one side may claim victory,

Humanity itself is always the true loser.

War is never just war—

How much does each soul lose?

A sister torn from her brother,

A son lost from his family’s embrace,

A bride’s happiness shattered—

Fathers ripped away from children.

Every home bears the story—

Every eye is filled with tears.

From bullets shot,

From cannon fire and flaming shells—

Oh, who died in those blazing fires?

Who suffered in that inferno?

Who knows?

Then why, after all,

Are the lives of brave young souls,

The valorous and the fearless,

Staked on the altar of war?

Those who know not the worth of human lives,

Who understand not the price of dreams sacrificed,

Sacrificed hopes and futures burned.

When a nation’s people are hungry,

When its soil lies dry and barren,

What need does such a land have

For weapons and warfare?

It’s not only the arms that threaten—

Even a cold war can crack the foundations,

Fracturing the economy and spirit.

In this race for supremacy,

All vie to dominate,

The mighty tremble, fearing loss of power,

The weak dread total subjugation.

Buddha, Jesus, Ram, and God—

None of them wrote the laws of war.

So how did mankind learn

To fight among themselves?

Is there no path to peace?

No way to spread brotherhood?

Then no more nations torn apart,

No more hatred in any heart,

Only brotherhood among all,

Joy shared in every hand,

Sorrows divided to lighten the load.

If only this could be,

Then the world would bask

In the bright light of peace and happiness.