Dark Divali

Billions of stars above
Millions of lamps below
Fail to remove the darkness
That engulfs the earth.
Their faint glow
May inspire the poets
Doesn't illumine men's souls
Or light up their faces
Where shadows of suffering
Roam freely.
The crackers that burst
Bring not joy to the hearts
Accustomed
To the sounds of bullets
And burning pyres.
The sweets that circulate
Taste bitter
In the absence of love
The eternal sweetner.
Let candles be lit
In men's hearts and minds
Not only in their homes.