From the land of the rising sun
To the plains where the buffalo run
They have danced with the wolves,
they have run with the pack
To the coast,
to the sea and back
With the beat of the jungle drum
From the east and the west they've come
They have raced with the cheetah,
they have fought with the bear
They have slept in the lion's lair
When the land was provoked by war
They're the ones who begot folklore
With the stain of their blood,
with the strength of their hand
They have stamped in recording sand
To the ones who have always fought
Not for fame, not for gain —
for naught
But the love in their hearts
that could not bear to see
The world plunged into misery
It's an ode to the Indian brave
It's a verse to the uncowering slave
To the stroke of the sword,
to the hold on the shield
To the lips that were never sealed
by Dikeogu Chukwumerije
... who is a freelance writer living in Nigeria.