bfrfk Ebfmf
nvMbr 5 dI svyr, 2008
sfDU ibinMg
kwlH rfq qyrf gIq
‘hF! asIN kr skdy hF’
dunIaF Br ny suixaF
kwlH rfq qyry nfl
kRoVF sLfied arbF lokF ny
qyry gIq dy bol duhrfey
qyry pRsLMskF dI BIV `c juVy
jYkI jYksn, Eprf qy hor hjLfrF ny
jjLbfqI ho hMJU vhfey
Auh hMJU awg df diraf sn
jo kuMqf ikMqf dy smyN qoN
inrMqr vih irhf hY
aslI sn Auh hMJU
qyry gIq dI qrHF
qyry bolF dI qrHF
afvysL ivc af ky
mYN vI qyry gIq nfl quiraf
mYnUM vI lwigaf: hF swc muwc
iek sPr qih hoieaf hY
iek ieiqhfsk pl sI Auh
jo inwq nhIN huMdf
Aus pl hoieaf
pr dosqf
hux jdoN mYN svyry AuWiTaF hF
jjLbfqI nhIN hF
mMinaf ik ies ivc bVf sMgIq hY
‘hF! asIN kr skdy hF’
pr qyrf gIq isrP gIq hY
ies qoN awgy ieh bhuqI dUr nhIN jfeygf
awj qoN bfad ies dy rfq vfly gfiekF `coN
myry vFg koeI nf koeI inwq ikrdf hI jfeygf
afpxIaF dohrIaF sFJF df kI kryNgf qUM?
qyrI mrI nfnI mYziln znhYm df gm hY
ijs ny qYnUM pfilaf
Auh jLbfn qy siBafcfr idwqf
ijs dy isr `qy qUM jyqU hoieaf eyN
qy kInIaF dy ipMz inafngomf koglo `c
nwcdI dfdI sfrf husYn Ebfmf dI KusLI
bVIaF afsF lfeIaF hn
qyry rMg dy lokF qyry qoN
ijs icwty Gr `c qUM afpxI bytI
qy Auhdy nvyN kuwqy nfl rihx cwilaF eyN
Auhdy dsqUr muqfbk rhyNgf qUM
qyry koloN ies icwty Gr df
rMg bdl neIN hoxf
ZMg bdl nhIN hoxf
ieh Gr gulfmF dy muVky nfl Ausiraf sI
ieh Gr gulfmF dy muVky nfl hI cldf hY
kdy gulfm eyQy ilafey jFdy sn
hux ieh Gr kMm krfAux
AunHF kol cly jFdf hY
qy afpxy kMm qy mflkF dI rfKI leI
iehny svf sO mulkF `c
POjF qfienfq kIqIaF ny
kI hux qUM POjIaF qoN rPlF lY ky
AunHF nUM Puwl PVf deyNgf?
qUM ies vyly dunIaF dy
vwzy sfmrfj mulk df srdfr eyN
qYnUM srdfrI leI cuixaF eyN
qy qUM srdfrI hI kryNgf
hor kuJ qUM kr nhIN skdf
qyrf kMm dwby kucly jFdy
kfimaF nUM dbf ky rwKxf hY
AunHF qoN kMm lYxf hY
AunHF dI dyKBfl krnI nhIN
qyrf kMm qyl `qy kbjy leI
iesrfeIl dI rfKI krnf hY
ieh Cwz ky hux qUM
byksUr mfry jf rhy lwKF aPrIkxF dy
jfn mfl rfKI krn nhIN jfvyNgf
qyry icwty Gr df iehI dsqUr hY
jo sdIaF qoN bdilaf nhIN
qy nf hI qyry koloN bdilaf jfxf hY
pr dosqf! qUM byiPkr rih
qyry `qy ieljLfm koeI neIN afeygf
ijs afirQk njLfm ny
qyry vzyiraF nUM bMDI bxfieaf sI
ajy qwk Aus df Kfsf nhIN bdilaf
qy qUM kdy Aus `qy AuNglI nhIN rwKI
qUM kdy nhIN ikhf
bdilaf jfvygf ieh njLfm
qUM koeI vI ajyhf vfiedf neIN kIqf ik
brfbrqf hovygI, sLosLx nhIN hovygf
syhq syvfvF imlxgIaF
qUM qF mDvrg leI vfiedf kIqf hY
kuJ tYks CotF df
ierfk `coN amrIkI POjI
qUM kuJ dyr pihlF kwZyNgf
isrP ies leI ik Krcf jfdy ho irhY
aPgfinsqfn `c afpxy ihwqF dI rfKI
iksy hor knyzy nUM bhfvyNgf
ierfn, korIaf, vYnjLuvylf jF ijhVf vI koeI
qyrI srdfrI qoN afkI hovygf
Auhdy nfl qUM srdfrF vFg hI pysL afvyNgf
buwsL vI eydF hI krdf sI
mkYn ny vI eydF eI krnI sI
qy qUM vI eydF eI kryNgf
rfqIN qyry BfsLx `c khI afKrI gwl ny
myry leI qF
sLwk dI guMjfiesL rihx eI neIN idwqI
qUM afiKaf:
gOz blYWs XU! gOz blYWs amYirkf
Blf buwsL ny koeI vwKrI gwl khI sI?
mkYn ny koeI vwKrI gwl kihxI sI?
ijnHF lokF nUM kMm dI koeI gfrMtI nf hovy
ijnHF lokF nUM isr `qy Cwq df Brosf nf hovy
ijnF nUM bImfr ho jfx df hI mOq ijMnf zr hovy
AunHF nUM rwb df afsrf cfhIdf hY
gfeI jf byswLk qUM
‘hF! asIN kr skdy hF’
pr qyrf ieh sMgIqmeI gIq
isrP gIq hY
jIvn nUM cldf rwKx leI
cMgy gIqF dI loV qoN mYN vI munkr nhIN
pr qyrf gIq isrP gIq hI hY
Barack Obama
The Morning of Nov. 5, 2008
Sadhu Binning
Last night your song
‘yes! we can’
was heard by the world
millions repeated the words
there were Jackie Jackson and Opera
among your followers
overwhelmed by emotions they cried
those tears were the river of fire
that has been flowing since the
time of Kunta Kinte
the tears were real like your words
i was also swayed by your song
it seemed a journey has taken place
a stage has been reached
it was an historic moment
something that doesn’t happen often
happened at that moment
but friend!
when i got up this morning
i was not emotional
granted that there is music in
‘yes! we can’
but your song is no more than a mere song
it will not go too far beyond this
many who sang with you last night
will start dropping out after today like me
what will you do with your split relations?
you are grieving for your
dead grandmother Madlin Dunham
one who raised you
gave you the language and culture
which helped you achieve this victory
and in Niangomf Koeglo
a village in Kenya
your grandmother Sara Husain Obama
has been dancing with happiness
with many hopes from the people of your color
the white house in which you will live
with your daughter and her new dog
you will have to live
according to the rules of this house
you will not be able to change
the color of this house
or the ways of this house
this house was built with the sweat of slaves
this house is run with the sweat of the slaves
once slaves were brought here
now this house go to their homes
to get the work done
and to protect the work and the owners
this house has stationed army
in one hundred and twenty five countries
are you going to take the rifles away
and give flowers to those soldiers?
at this time you are
the leader of the biggest empire in the world
you have been elected for the leadership
and you will be a leader
you cannot be anything else
your job is to oppress the workers
and get the work done
not to look after them
in order to keep control of the oil
your job is to protect Israel
you are not going to save innocent people
being killed in many parts of Africa
this is the way of your white house
which has not changed over the centuries
and you cannot change it either
but friend! don’t worry
no one will blame you
the economic system
that enslaved your ancestors
has not changed to this day
and you have never
pointed your finger towards it
you have never said
this system will be changed
you have never promised anything like:
there will be equality, no more exploitation
health care will be provided
the banks will not take away
the house of an unemployed worker
you will save the banks
and you only promised some tax breaks
for the middle class
you will pull the army out of Iraq
only because it is costing way more than it should
to protect your interests in Afghanistan
you will appoint another Canada
Iran, Korea, Venezuela or anyone else
disobey your leadership
you will deal with them
as a leader of the empire should
that was what Bush did
and that was how
McCain was going to handle the situation
the last word in your speech last night
left no reasonable doubt in my mind
you said:
‘god bless you! god bless America’
did Bush say anything different?
was McCain going to say anything different?
those who have no guarantee of work
those who have no confidence
in having a roof over their heads
and those who fear getting sick
as much as death itself
they will definitely need god
you can go on singing
‘yes! we can’
but your very musical song
is no more than a mere song
to keep life going
i don’t deny the necessity of good songs
but your song is no more than a mere song
Sadhu Binning
Burnaby, BC, Canada
sadhu.binning@gmail.com