Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Poem of the Month (June, 2010): TORONTO THE BEAUTIFUL, TORONTO THE UGLY


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Toronto the Beautiful, Toronto the Ugly

By Jerome D'Costa


It was Toronto, a city of 2.48 million people
Who hail from more than 100 countries of the world.
It was a calm and peaceful city
Where life and business ran as usual.

Enter G8 and G20 summit gatherings
Of representatives from privileged nations.
These are the people who decide fates
Of more than three-fourth population of this earth.

Things get hectic, apprehensive and suspenseful.
Ideas of fear and disaster-prevention enter the milieu.
Unprecedented barriers are raised up
Isolating the dignitaries,
As if, they are imprisoned but "safe"
From any indignity or physical incursions.
Fully armed and geared police forces
Parade the streets and nooks and corners.

Then it happens what was apprehended.
Activist groups question the relevance
And efficacy of these summits.
Some rogue elements, in the guise of protesters,
Dance in violence -- burning police cruisers and breaking store windows.
Nerved police personnel crack to action
And resort to mass arrests for turning the city into a peaceful one.

The victim is the truth, the victim is the human rights,
The victim is the right of the police, the victim is the reputation of the city.
The city population is in dilemma. Which one to choose?
Toronto the Beautiful or Toronto the Ugly?


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