AIDS In Light and Shade

                             
The benevolent heart
of a global health policy director-
embellished with a sacred soul too,
seems to be quite blissful
in saying to telephone,
‘’it is time to retire the phrase-Aids in Africa’’,
as a troop of warriors of sixteen countries
in sub-Saharan Africa,
declared a war against the curse- AIDS,
tarnished its fatal power
and compelled it to sneak behind
keeping lower the numbers of new HIV infections
than the new patients of AIDS in the same year.

Quite enthusiastic is the report,
the medical world gets a cool bath
in the heavenly shower of hope
and describes it with a luminous smile as,
‘’Beginning of the end of AIDS’’.
Thankful are the countries like
Ghana, Malawi and Zambia
to the active efforts of the governments,
grateful to the international donors and
hopeful to the civil society leaders-
fighting together against the dreadful foe-AIDS.

Alas! Shade always follows light
as some unfortunate countries like
Cameroon, Nigeria and Togo-still lag far behind
in fighting against the curse
as circumscribed they are by a black girdle
of lack of political will, adequate fund ,
hygienic delivery system and
sympathy for the marginalised population-
cursed mercilessly by the horrible AIDS.
Let’s feel the caution that reverberates In the air
as pronounced by the policy director,
‘’Beginning of the end of AIDS’’ is
‘’Not a foregone conclusion’’,
an ocean of blood and sweat
is yet to be spent to purchase
a new world---free of dirty curse of Devil- AIDS.

New Report- Time to Stop Saying AIDS in Africa 
Pijush Kanti Deb

Moral Dilemma

Today is market day.
Women have come down
from their remote villages
to their nearest town.
They greet one another
among the busy stalls
but pay scant attention
to the vendors’ calls.
They talk about their lovers
and extol their virility
yet point out the dangers
that go with promiscuity.
The opinion is prevalent
we ought to warn all maids
not to indulge in shenanigans
in case they catch Aids.
It would be so much better
if they could get protection
but they are subjected
to religious objection.
Clerics of different creeds
raise their hands in horror
and declare we shall live
in Sodom or Gomorrah.
So prudence is requested
and also self-control
but, given human nature,
it won’t work at all.

© Luigi Pagano

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Luigi Pagano is a contributor to Poetry24 and other websites. He has published three poetry collections the latest of which is Poetry On Tap.