POEM: Independence Day
By: Rayees Ahmad Kumar
On this day, we proudly say—
Happy Independence Day!
Fifteenth of August, the dawn of our light,
Ending two centuries of darkest night
Our elders, leaders, martyrs brave,
Faced the gallows, dug no grave;
Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh,
Ashfaqullah, Subhash Chandra’s wing,
Gandhi’s truth, the countless band—
All gave their lives to free this land
Freedom’s sun did not rise fast,
It burned through blood, through pain amassed;
Each drop of sacrifice became a flame,
That lit the sky in our nation’s name.
Now we stand beneath the open sky,
With heads held proud and spirits high,
Singing songs of our motherland’s story,
Wrapped in tricolour’s timeless glory.
But remember—this day is more
Than flags and music, parades and lore;
It is the call, the solemn plea,
To guard this hard-won liberty.
