Salil Ostwal

“दो दिन मिले उधार में, घाटे के व्यापार में, क्षण-क्षण का हिसाब जोड़ूँ या पूँजी शेष लुटाऊँ मैं? राह कौन-सी जाऊँ मैं?”
― Atal Bihari Vajpayee, चुनी हुई कविताएँ

“Pity the nation whose people are sheep,
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice,
except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.
Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away.
My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.”
― Lawrence Ferlinghetti

“Recipe For Happiness Khaborovsk Or Anyplace'

One grand boulevard with trees
with one grand cafe in sun
with strong black coffee in very small cups.

One not necessarily very beautiful
man or woman who loves you.

One fine day.”
― Lawrence Ferlinghetti

“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower