Poetry: Pradeep Kumar

Pradeep Kumar

Lament of the Earth: A Cry for Justice

Beneath the sky, once azure, now a shroud of gray,

The Earth weeps softly, her vibrance fades away.

Rivers, once alive, now choke on plastic and grime,

Forests fall silent, victims of greed’s cruel climb.

The air grows heavy, laced with fumes and despair,

While oceans rise, swallowing homes without care.

The Indo-Gangetic plains, where paddy and sugarcane sway,

Wilt under heatwaves, lost in a fiery haze and crazy chemical spray.

Yet not all suffer equal in this unravelling tale,

The poor bear the burden, where justice seems frail.

Marginal farmers, with plots too small to endure,

Face floods and droughts, their futures unsure.

Women of the fields, toiling under the sun’s glare,

Carry the weight of loss, with no voice to share.

The Dalit, the Adivasi, pushed to the edge of the land,

Their homes swept away by a climate’s harsh hand.

Factories spew venom, their profits stained red,

While children breathe poison, dreams buried, unfed.

The rich build their towers, shielded from the storm,

But the meek inherit grief, in a world overwarm.

Oh, Earth, our mother, scarred by our careless ways,

Your cries echo loud through these perilous days.

But hope lies in justice, in hands that unite,

To heal your wounds, to fight for what’s right.

Let’s plant the seeds where the barren lands cry,

Clean rivers and skies, let the toxins run dry.

Empower the voiceless, let equity reign,

For a planet restored, free from sorrow and pain.

From my fields to the world’s farthest shore,

We’ll rise for the Earth, the rich and the poor.

A future where all breathe the air that is clean,

Where justice and nature in harmony gleam.

***

The Sun Will Shine

When there’s darkness everywhere

The clouds rule the whole sky

No light seems to penetrate rather

But there’re heart rendering plight and cry

The life is at still and make no bright

All hopes appear to lose in the fight

One asks whether it remains forever

When there’s darkness everywhere

When the system reels under pressure

Where people struggle to take a breath

The curing resources themselves are on stretcher

Overstretched machinery faces the wrath

Of people who are helpless and hopeless

Fear and agony run the atmosphere

When there’s darkness everywhere

Will the avalanche of disease perish humanity?

No; man’s indomitable spirit overcomes calamity

Amid this agony and deep sense of despair

There’re innumerable souls dedicated for repair

The tottered and scattered pieces of hope

Working tirelessly treating around the globe

Breeze will blow over the mountains of ember

When there’s darkness everywhere

Your zeal and courage are no shorter

To the ocean of challenges and upheavals

Collective will and shared determination are stronger

Than the heat and wrath of temporary crisis

The storm always passes and never lasts forever

The fall remain no longer and gives to pleasant weather

The cloud will disappear and the Sun will shine ever

When there’s darkness everywhere

Don’t lose hope and be firmed in action

Nothing can stop your will and passion

You are bolder than you believe, better than you seem

Greater than your hurdles and stronger than you deem

Appropriate behaviour and distancing are best cure so far

Humanity will sail through typhoon and win the war

Eliminate the disease and its cruel paws will be nowhere

The Sun will shine when there’s darkness everywhere.

***

Make Fearless Choices

O luminous guys! of English’s grand tale,

My cherished students, as we part with this vale,

I sail you through Pol Science’s debates and concept,

Stand awestruck by your brilliance and artistic talent

You, creator of paintings with quills that blaze bright,

Have adorned our campus with artistry’s light.

From Shakespeare’s tragedy to Austen’s keen wit,

You’ve danced through the ages where legends still sit.

Through Nukkad Natak you brought vibrancy to campus and street

In collages vibrant, where colours and texts will prevail.

With paintbrush and palette, you spun dreams anew,

Each canvas a saga, bold, radiant, and true.

On workshop stages, you shone as bright stars,

Anchoring with eloquence, breaking all bars.

In drama’s embrace, you performed witches and king

Breathing life into roles that no curtain could bring.

Every line you delivered, each gesture profound,

Turned fleeting scripts to echoes unbound.

O devotees of tea, with cups steaming high,

You wove bonds of laughter beneath the vast sky.

Humble in spirit, yet mighty in grace,

Your kindness lit warmth in each shared space.

Loving and gentle, your hearts ever wide,

You crafted a haven where all could abide.

Now, as you venture to horizons unknown,

Carry your passion, let your brilliance be shown.

Let literature’s fire and art’s boundless might

Ignite paths of glory through day and night.

The theories of social sciences give you value of justice

You may author your destiny, make fearless choices.

Though I taught of power, of state, and of strife,

Your literary souls brought my lessons to life.

Go forth, my wards, with hearts warm and empathy

Shape coming decades with courage, skills and novelty

This farewell’s no curtain, but a dawn breaking wide

You’ll forever sparkle, my joy and my pride.

***

Bio: Pradeep Kumar is an Assistant Professor by profession in an associate college of Lucknow University Lucknow, India. His articles have been published in reputed national and international publication houses. He works on public policy and environmental issues and is passionate about exploring themes of social justice intersecting with climate crises resulting into the questions of climate (in)justice. Currently he is working on climate action plan of Uttar Pradesh in context of environmental justice.

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Setu, September 2025