Photo: Rubab Jafri

The river wept, as we left

But its tears were not for us.

It cries not for those who leave;

It cries for those who stay:

The fish that live in acid rapids

And the birds that prey on them;

The trees that struggle to stay green

Amidst all the dust and grey.

The river wept, as we left

But its tears were not for us.

It cries not for those who leave;

It cries for those who stay:

The fields of plastics amidst the wheat

And lands drenched in chemicals;

The children who grow up in dirt

Never knowing what pristine meant.

The river wept, as we left

But its tears were not for us.

It cries not for those who leave;

It cries for those who stay.

Ahmar Mahboob is a Linguist. Currently, he is Associate Professor at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Sydney.