“I want, to sell, my girl, of four”
From the, bullet-riddled mosque, Ramzan declared
To buy, for his, family, a sack, of flour
Lest, all, they die, unfed, uncared!

He’d, sold one kidney, few months ago
“Alas, Allah gave, only two”
Despair, of a father, who has, learnt, to sow
Tears, of today, in the, farms of, tomorrow!

When spills, no milk, kids, suckle, mothers’ blood
Fathers, feed their litters, with pain-killers
To nip, bane of hunger, from, its bud
Until, dreaded dream, of, bread, disappears!

In, Taliban’s gain, is, Afghanistan’s loss
Whose ethos, wants, to be, set free
More than hunger, pains, a nation’s, lost cause
The Economics, Of, Misery!

© 2022 Vikas Chandra