My Gladiator

You said

can you be a Gladiator

I say Son sure be -

all of us are anyway warriors

in varying ways of world.

Some wage war

for want of wealth

some to possess power

or seek control so

they wreak havoc

with awesome plunder

on all to be fancied

time casts their mark

with bloodshed, parting, disaster,

a trail of legacy

is left behind

in seeping wounds so raw

they still continue to bleed

smoulder pages of our history.

Those battles cost

a fortune dear

for soil and toil of world

beauty, creativity were

destroyed after

so lovingly man's hand

generated whenev'r

it happened that there was

a brief pause for peace.

Looking back

at tales of past,

I'll wish and choose

to bless thee

with best as I can see

head, go forth

do fight, if you must,

but not for sake

of base desire,

your choice of war

ought deserve

brave mettle of the Freeman

I raised aloft

to let his eyes see

lofty causes to aspire

so surge, lunge and rise

to discover

countless ways

to truth, justice and liberty

for all with your might obtain

science and art as art of God

to be preserved.

Do cast your sword

yes cut with steely words

let man's mind yield

with flicks of pen

move of tongue

colossal blows of intellect

render carve out

reach for destiny

go Gladiator go achieve

live as man among men

who're committed by their vows

with raging passion in caring heart

smear hope and faith across

your life's canvas

to urge some more

inspire many

against what humanity

sadly still endures-

for poverty, pain and misery

are demonic scourges that

my Gladiator has

to strike.

Aamal asked to be a Gladiator, standing in arena of the Colosseum, Rome on 1st April 2010.