Up Above the World So High

Pictures speak a 1000 words, it is said - and truly so! Nothing can prove this better than in the context of war and trauma and all things devastating. However, this post will be a sans-picture one, a departure from both my typical posting style and the usual depiction of war. The objective of this is two-fold - the only imagery evoked will be by the poem, and the second is more sentimental - the ravages of conflict, sad as it is, is what "cured" my writer's block, and I would want this to be a words-only post.

Serene white clouds - nature's magical marvel,

In the pristine cyan of the skies, it was all well!

Terror got past the terrene surface

When two warring nations took to the airspace

The clouds still swirl, but tainted with missile grey

Is it worth it, when "Mission Accomplished" they say.

Up above the world so high, goes the kindergarten rhyme

Yet, the heavenly "up above the world" wasn't spared the war toll chime

From the lands below, little fingers pointed to the VIBGYOR the firmament's stars

All they can now behold is the dreary grey and the discordant grenades

"Rivers run red" is a classic visual of war

But now clouds cry crimson in this Thar

Let there be a day when the clouds of grey

Part away to the serenity of the white clouds, in full display.

This poem was penned on 11th May 2025, at a time when the India-Pakistan escalation after the Pahalgam terrorist attack had almost de-escalated - still, coming after a week of insecurity, anger and fear for the future, more so for someone in the NCR, like I was. While that was what got the words flowing (while I was travelling mid-air), you will find out that the themes brought out by the poem are universal and could apply to any conflict, any fighting, or at least any war fought with missiles.

A much-needed disclaimer - this poem is by no means a commentary on the geopolitical landscape or the political decisions that were taken in this particular context. There will be a separate space to delve into that. This is simply a poet's yearning and a writer's dive into much more primal emotions that make us all (or at least most of us) human.