And that one fateful
September day,
When a vast sea of
Pashtun warriors,
Was, by a handful of
Sikhs, held at bay.
Greatly outnumbered, though
they were,
And knew that an
option was flight,
Each of the one and
twenty Sikhs,
Willingly resolved, to
stand and fight.
And while brave, in
their own right,
The Pashtuns,
misjudged the Sikh men,
Several proceeding to
their slaughter,
Like lambs entering
a lion’s den.
As wave upon wave, crashed against the post,
Threats and offers, in
plenty, were made,
Yet, so resilient was
the defenders' will,
Until the end, they remained unswayed.
With courage, as their
one true master,
And honor, as their steadfast guide,
They faced their enemy
with fervor,
And died for their
principles with pride.
Aware all along, how
the odds were stacked,
Instead of fleeing they chose to succumb,
And through a show of their
unparalleled valor,
Taught history, how
legends, men become.
- Kartik Shastry
