I had never spent mornings
in elaborate obeisance
before idols of gods and goddesses
because I never believed-
all beings were born without power and strength,
and evolved only by destiny, chance and nature...
But,
.... the convinced mind was soon left in the lurch
The Uttrakhand disaster left me bare...
made me unsure of my stand..
Just as an ordinary day, in June, 2013
Rain God came down,
hurtling the 'sacred hill' in a storm of rain
It uprooted the boulders
...knotted 'all' in a ball of death
The skies sulked...the hills grieved
God who lived up there conceivably cringed
I often wonder..
'Did God really conspire this bombing?'
The flights of vultures
etched against temple's eaves,
dab many questions today...
I desire to know-
'Does God sometimes cry??'
The pieces of death
strewn along the sacred hill have reasons to rueEven now my heart ...
....weeps for the fate of those who died
and..... sinks!
I realize, in truth...I'm vulnerable, unprotected
How lucky I am to be alive, to be living!
My trance breaks...
Rubbing my hands, I curl up in my room
the pull is decisive- I surrender myself
To appease the malice of gods
Wait.
Garhwal Himalaya is considered adobe of
Gods: this beautiful and difficult terrain has numerous majestic peaks. During
the peak pilgrimage season, in 2013 , the region received unexpectedly heavy rain,
causing unprecedented magnitude of death and destruction, especially in
Kedarnath (site of God Shiva-a deity) due to cloud burst causing a glacial lake
burst and flash flood downstream. In this tragedy, more than
thousand people died, many thousands (mostly pilgrims) went missing,
several villages were completely destroyed, hundreds of villages are still rendered inaccessible.
O! You have made both the disaster and the personal change painfully vivid! To be laid so bare! I hope God cries and you forgive.
ReplyDeleteAmen...We can find comfort in the truth that God cries with us when we are grieving. Thanks Susan for the poignant prompt. Shall go back to read the other poems now...☺
DeleteThank you.
Everywhere is dangerous if we don't keep our eyes wide open. We constantly battle the elements and each other and hope that we survive another day. We should give thanks for every day we enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI agree oldegg. . And I just hope God swallows everybody's tears...Thanks for being here. Shall go over to your blog now ☺ Thanks..
DeletePanchali, a powerful write about a devastating event. I do believe God weeps, for he is a God of compassion. "The hills grieved".....so powerful, as are the vultures sitting on the eaves.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. To give myself a sense of well-being, I count my blessings. Of course, the process of introspection and change is continuous...😆 Thanks again..
DeleteIt was a great tragic! :(
ReplyDeleteYou have expressed it well. Even I had penned down a similar poem many days before.
Do visit here to read: http://wwwdanu.blogspot.in/2013/08/uttarakhand-floods.html
Welcome to my space, Daneshwari..😊 Thanks for your compliments. .Shall be in ur space soon..
Deleteits all human mistake as we know, forest destrucion and all
ReplyDeleteYes...I am aware of it, Vandana. .but, God's plans, His truths, His thoughts is beyond my comprehension..Wonder, how it happened in a place like kedarnath where thousands of pilgrims lost their lives...beats me!!
DeleteThank you ..
Yes, true. Sometimes we really do not understand the divine plan so grim it is. I love your concern does God really cries. Remember Tagore's immortal words" Tai tomar aanondo aamaar par, tumi tai eshechho neechey tomar noiley tribhubaneshwar tomar prem hoto je meechhe"
ReplyDeleteThank you for validating me, Geetashree. Kobiguru's words seem so apt here!! Aha.... a great reality check for each one of us to snap out of it....!!I guess we all need these reminders...
DeleteThanks for coming by....:)
A very strong change that day caused.
ReplyDeleteThanks Meisner. A very happy and a joyful 2015!!
DeletePowerfully written Panchali..this made me think.."Does God sometimes cry??"
ReplyDeleteI think,,,He gets into depression at times..at least, if I had been the creator ...I certainly would.. :) Thnq!
DeleteHappy New Year!!
A powerful write-up! Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. I have read somewhere that nature tries to balance every actions by humans /living things on earth and thus the reason for natural destruction.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that wonderful compliment..means a lot to me, Uma!
DeleteWishing you and your family a very happy and a prosperous New Year! xoxo
Wishing you a very happy & Prosperous New Year ..Thanks for all the support! Keep writing! Keep lighting!…BEST PRAYERS FOR FUTURE!!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a blissful and a joyous new year, Adhi!! Many thanks for your wishes... :)
DeletePanchali!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
Let the coming year be prosperous joyful for all of us.
With my warm wishes.
Łucja
Happy New Year, Lucia!! May you enjoy happiness, joy and health always !! Thanks my friend <3
DeleteGreetings from India!!