say nothing

when i was a child, minding my own life,
you made fun of my shape,
you said i was too fat and too meek,
that i couldn’t bend and touch my toes.
still i said nothing.
you took advantage of my docility
and enslaved me as “nature’s freak”,
i broke my back for you to cheat and steal and ravage.
still i said nothing.

when i was a boy, finding my way,
you made fun of my intelligence,
you called me a nerd and a geek,
made me resent my good grades
still i said nothing.
you made fun of my religion,
you said my gods were funny and weak,
questioned my motives, beliefs and philosophy.
still i said nothing.

when i was a young man, increasing in confidence,
you made fun of my lack of direction.
you said i was confused and my future was bleak,
that i would be lost in my own backyard.
still i said nothing.
you made fun of my culture and heritage,
you ignored the niche i was trying to eke,
dismissed me as a slave of my past.
still i said nothing.

now i’m a healthy adult,
you cant make fun of my success
for all the reasons you may seek.
your home falls apart around you.
still i say nothing.
your fortunes have been turned,
this is the end of your winning streak.
all alone, your old friends with troubles of their own.
still i say nothing.

in the future, i will rule the world
with all the others that you tormented.
together we will scale the peak
of the mountain you could never dream of climbing.
and i will still say nothing.
when you have failed on all fronts and lost all hope,
you will want to come by and take a peek
at our success and maybe even join us.
and i will still say nothing.

(as an allegory for India)

- satyajit venkatraman
july, 2010