Oh! Shaam

Shaam is an old name of present day Syria. The present day tragedies of that unfortunate country contrast strongly with what it once was.
I wrote this poem on seeing a picture of the Khaled bin Walid mosque after its bombing.

Pigeons no longer fly over our domes,

For our mosques are taken

As trophies in battle;

Battle that plays out on storied soil,

As our gloried warriors long forgotten

Lie buried beneath the rubble.

Pigeons no longer fly over our mosques

Our domes are mere shells of the past,

And our minarets are broken

There are no prayers anymore

No messages for them to take

To the lofty skies.