Corona Virus Versus Democracy (Let's Change The World) Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

What is Democracy
when Presidents
as old as our grandfathers
vouch to lead our nations
when they should be actually
retiring and resting,
praying and reminiscing
about their glorious days and years.

What is elections and voting
if one keeps winning
and other keeps refusing to concede
when victories and defeats
are part and parcel of fair politics
so as to keep rotating members and representatives
in a senate or a parliament
at the end of a term
as laid down by the Constitution.

What is discrimination
when black against whites are pitted
yet racism keeps prevailing
and none could stop it or prevent it
for years and centuries
though unrest and violence
voices and leaders spoke of volumes
and sought amendments
to abolish discrimination.

What is medicines and cure
when corona virus infections
are world's greatest enemies and challenges
and none can control or eliminate it
even though it has no eyes and ears
as it keeps infecting the young and the old
without any weapons or firearms
yet leaders keep waging wars
or suppressing fundamental freedoms.

What is peace and friendship
when leaders of so many nations
keep denying people their rights
and as disagreements keeps mounting
into a civil war,
none can guarantee peace
yet loss of lives and homes
make people refugees who keep fleeing
to another country to find safety
to escape death and destruction.

What is terror
when bombs keep exploding suddenly
and knife attacks keep recurring
on the streets and in public places
and no one can assure the safety
of those who become victims
to such unexpected incidents
of terror and violence.

What is freedom of expression
when mind makes lips speak many words
and some words keep hurting
the religious sentiments of people
when the right to practice one's religion
in his own way is a rule
and to show respect
for each other's devotion
is based on tolerance
and mutual understanding
since ages and centuries.

What is rape and respect for a woman
when men keeps making woman an object
of his lust and amusement
yet women themselves forget
to take precautions to refrain from risks
and threats that can confront them.

What is justice
when tables of truth keep moving
pushing lies and evidence to another level
and a victim has to rush to courts to get bail
to fight for his own innocence and freedom
while the guilty hides in the backyard
under the cover of darkness and cartel.

What is yesterday and today
when in that hour of sleep
so many thoughts keep knocking
at the windows of the mind
asking everyone to be vigilant
when in the morning they wake up
and find themselves jobless
yet after sipping some black coffee,
they walk out on the streets
wearing a face-mask
to prevent themselves from the corona virus
which is looming everywhere
waiting to catch anyone
who has a running nose
or a hard cough to give the virus a signal.

What is a mortuary or a coffin
when many have to die
and no one can attend a funeral
except those who have no fear
or have a job to lay the dead to rest
while families keep praying from home,
not getting a chance tobid adieu
to their loved one
they recollect with tears
those carefree days of
joy and laughter
which have all now vanished
with no promise to return
until a vaccine re-gifts to this world
the promise of serenity and good health.