Assrokh

Bani Baloch

In the trembling of my hands, I write these lines
As my soul crumbles and my heart resigns
Once sparkling eyes, now fade away
Whispers of truth tell a tale of dismay

The seasons I cherished, nature’s delight
The wonders, the beauty, now lost from sight
Gone are the treasures I held so dear
Destroyed by a test that filled me with fear

Inhuman and callous was that explosion’s might
Devouring the green fields, erasing their light
No more do sepals bloom with grace
The grassy land plundered, leaving no trace

Where my children sat under the shade of a tree
I search, but find emptiness, it’s not meant to be
The effects of nukes stained veins with dark hue
The joyful air turned rough, the breeze bid adieu

Gleaming droplets, once a sweet delight
Now fall on dead skin, a sorrowful sight
My pensive mourns find no solace’s embrace
As melodies echo a somber and sober pace

Still, I await the rain, to wash away the night
To cleanse the soil from the cancerous blight
For darkness has taken hold, caused distress
And left my beloved land in a state of duress

I may sound desolate, my words filled with despair
But facing reality, isn’t it only fair?
I, with my unique taste and steadfast mind
Embrace the truth, the Baloch spirit I find

As the first nuclear weapons were unleashed
Over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cities ceased
Devastating power turned them to ash
But Japan, resilient, rose from the clash

Yet, the question lingers,
Why did Pakistan test in Balochistan’s allure?
Why sacrifice the soil of Chagai, I ponder
Why ruin the homes of Baloch, I wonder

Unanswered queries haunt my restless mind
As Pakistan’s tests in Chagai we find
The aftermath of nuclear atoms took its toll
Infertility plagued the once fertile soil

Land plundered, women rendered sterile and frail
Skin cancer, a haunting presence, set to prevail
Children born with skin so lifeless and pale
In Chagai, the scars of nukes still prevail

Miserable lives unfold in the aftermath’s sway
People in Chagai bear the burden each day
Their struggles echo, unheard and unseen
As they face the consequences, trapped in between

Bound by the aftermath of those fateful nukes
It could have happened elsewhere, but they chose Baloch
They chose Chagai, my home, Baloch’s land.