Heroes: My walk back home

POW: Prisoners of war. The heroes on the battlefield but soon forgotten by the country. The heroes who struggle to maintain their identity in alien land, who wish to be home and nothing else. Have you ever thought about them? Try remembering them and think what do they go through every minute, every second.

My tribute to those heroes in various wars, the respect they deserve.. Their walk back home. The pics depicted here are real photos of just some Indian POWs in the wars of 1965, 1971...and many more.

I am a soldier

I fought for my country, my motherland

I cared for her freedom

Now I am a POW.

In an alien land I await my release

Hero in the eyes of my family, yet forgotten by my country

I await my freedom

Freedom to walk back to my country

Freedom to be a captive no more 

The memories refuse to die down

Days turned into months

Months into years

I refuse to become a memory

My family would be waiting for my return

Parents would be staring at the lane leading to the house

Hoping to catch a glimpse of their son

Defying their time, saying, “ Let him come first”

My beloved would be knitting a new hope everyday

Dressing everyday to greet me any second

Her hope would be rising like the morning sun and dimming just like the sunset, everyday

I cant comfort her loneliness at night

I vowed to be by her side all life

And here I am so far away from her

My children must have all grown up

I know they must be missing me every moment

The birthdays and celebrations would be subdued

How do I tell them I miss them too ?

I know they must be proud when they hear my name

Yet sad when they dont know whether I am dead or alive

I have found friends here

Many of them from the past wars

Confined to these walls, we have become used to call this as our “second” home

Yet I long for my first

I have no qualms about being captured

I am a soldier, it was my duty

As the years have gone by all I want now is my return back home

Or atleast the news to my loved ones that I am alive

Many here have faded into oblivion

But I refuse to become a memory

I await my walk back home

To my country

To my loved ones

To my motherland

My walk back home...