"Elegy for Democracy" is a deeply moving poetic lament that mourns the perceived decline of democratic values and the rise of authoritarianism. The elegy expresses profound grief and anger towards ignorance and bigotry, highlighting the struggle for rights and equality. Despite the somber tone, the poem carries an undercurrent of hope, a belief in the resurgence of democracy and the enduring spirit of freedom.
Oh, Democracy, thou art a fading light,
In the realm of shadows, we mourn your plight.
Once a beacon of hope, a symbol of free will,
Now, a fading echo, a memory standing still.
We grieve your slide into the abyss,
Where authoritarian rule is amiss.
The voice of the people, once loud and clear,
Is now a whisper, we strain to hear.
Anger boils in our hearts, a fiery rage,
At the ignorant folk who set this stage.
Their minds, so narrow, their vision, so small,
They fail to see the collective fall.
Mad as hell, we stand against bigotry,
A plague that taints our shared history.
In the name of difference, they sow divide,
In the name of sameness, our rights denied.
Every step forward, a Promethean task,
In the face of oppression, we don the mask.
The fight for freedom, a constant strife,
A battle that consumes our life.
Rights that are normal, for some, not all,
A bitter truth, that makes us appall.
Equality, a dream, so far, yet so near,
A mirage that fades with each passing year.
Oh, Democracy, where art thou now?
In the face of tyranny, we bow.
Your principles, once held so high,
Now, beneath the authoritarian sky, lie.
Yet, in our hearts, a flame still burns,
For a time when the tide of time turns.
When Democracy, from its ashes, will rise,
And the dawn of freedom, will grace our skies.
Until then, we mourn, we grieve,
In the power of change, we believe.
For Democracy, an elegy we sing,
In the hope of the renewal, it will bring.
Oh, Democracy, thou art not dead,
In our hearts, your spirit is fed.
We stand against the night, with a defiant cry,
For the love of freedom, we will never die.
