A City Torn

This magnificent city of yore,

Of opulent greens and folklore,

Of vibrant colors at its cultural core,

A blend of ethnicity, extempore.

A city of heritage and history,

Of old world charm and mystery,

Reigned long by monarchs royal,

Besieged now with fanatics loyal.

Black sky with embers, so overcast,

Scarred silhouette of a famed past,

Majestic edifices reduced to rubble,

Lives lost in mindless struggle.

A city so torn,

Swept up in scorn,

Hatred spreading as wild fire,

Engulfing life in an endless ire.

The city now bleeds,

Marred, with fury and vile deeds,

Law and lawlessness, all logic defy,

A force unto itself, it terrifies.

Self-proclaimed soldiers, a whole legion,

Wreaking havoc in the name of religion,

Oh! Is there an end to this travesty?

Before it wipes out an ethnic diversity.

Look around, what do you see?

The next man is the same as you and me,

The time has come to rise above,

Petty politics and antagonistic vows.