They promised me a bread to eat
And in return took my fields.
They promised me a river to drink
And in return took my sea
They promised me a home to dwell
And in return took my country
They promised me a smile to cherish
And in return took my happiness
They promised me a moon to gaze
And in return took my sun.
The fields are now pale and barren.
The rivers are now dry and withered.
O my Wishful-Gem*
You are the one and only now I have….
© Tenzin Jigdal
(* a figurative reference to His Holiness the Dalai Lama)