Ram was a Friend

Poetry
~ Shakeel Mohammed 

​Ram was a friend,
now he is a Hindu.
Tom was a classmate,
now he is a Christian
 
I loved Ram’s Mom’s Cuisine,
today it’s haram
Tom’s mom’s cakes were mouthwatering,
now I avoid it
 
I used to eat beef with Jayanthan,
today I could get lynched for that.
I used to wait for Santa,
now I say no to my children.
 
I hardly had any Muslim friends.
today I have only Muslim friends.
I had so many non Muslim friends,
now I have none.
 
I grew up in India,
today I live in an alien land.
It’s the same place,
it just isn't the same.
​

​Shakeel Mohammed is a Mechanical Engineer who graduated from Manipal Institute of Technology. He is the Managing Partner of Zackiez Foods, a popular confectionery brand in Kochi. He is an amateur poet and “Ram was a friend” is the reflection of his inner anxieties. 

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