Ode for Avijit Roy

Published on Monday, 12 September 2016

Melancholy has become the mantra As fear and conjecture has become the currency of the ruler Truth and justice have become words of prejudice Pain and suffering the primary means of interacting.

What happened to the notion of discourse? When people can talk despite being distraught. Drawing a machete was completely out of the question Because that does not leave room for discussion.

Blood-shed may stop a voice for a while But ones words and ideas would remain febrile Within the corpus of minds that permeate through the people Who can reincarnate the voice that has been brutally cut-short.

The injustice on Avijit Should never be forgotten He did not incite violence, nor did he inflict pain He merely shared with people what he thought.

Why is it a crime to use the mind, Logic and thoughts that make us who we are? The conclusions may differ But that is just the way we are

The universe is vast And thus it is only just That there are different views About things that we have unquestionable faith.

Having a different view is not a crime Because we ourselves change our mind all the time Thus, it would be impossible to have a rule That seeks to curtail the myriad pool

So, I implore my fellow thinkers Do not be cowered to silence If only for the future you wish to bequeath To the ones that you desperately love.

We have the right to speak our mind But that does not mean we cannot offend anyone As long as we are courteous and patient in the way we engage One cannot claim that such acts are hostile.

Be suspicious of the ones who claim otherwise They may be wolves in disguise Who seek to portray themselves as your friend While constantly denying you who you are.

Avijit will be alive, as long as we strive Continuously defending the rights of the ones Who think in ways that do not conform But challenge the ways we see the world. . -By: Kazi Muinur Rahman