A heartfelt poem about the Dec 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. |
Postscripts to the Tsunami I sat in my fragmented hut, all alone, With troubled thoughts, gloom and despair On my teary face the moonlight shone, The night loomed with a sorrowful air Thousands slain and houses ravaged The killer waves spared not even the aged. Which Mother would watch her brood die And witness their anguish in silent glee? In anger I yelled at the birds in the sky At the trees, the sand and the bumble bee “You rocked not the cradle, but the sea bed” I cried, “millions to their gory deaths you led” “O Nature, how can we call you our mother? Come now, and resolve these qualms I hold My young are gone and so is my brother, Submerged in the angry surging flow’s fold” Minutes passed and my tears did subside A gossamer glow permeated the seaside Arising from the waves I saw a vision, a light, Bringing in its wake something magical Butterflies, song birds, flowers, hues bright Weaving a spell of beauty, so radiant and special At once I knew her to be our Lady Nature The Mother of every being and creature “I heed to your call, for son, I hold you dear You sully my name wrongly for all your woes Let misgivings be; hear me out in good cheer” She said, her angelic voice filled with purpose “Your kind is my last born, the one I cherish So angst was I when your lot did perish Your own deeds you choose to ignore The trees you fell, the dams that you build Oil spills, holes dug into the land’s core Weapons tested, toxic waste, sea life killed. Guarding His creation is as much a balancing act As an enduring mother spanking her unruly brat” As her dazzling form was fading away I was consoled, wiser and dogged in mind To guard our locale, to do my bit everyday To make Earth the paradise you cannot find Come friends, help me, lend me your hand Together for a more tranquil world, let us stand. |