On a January morning, cold and dark,
As the drums of the national anthem play
They hoisted the tricolor to mark
This glorious nation’s Republic day
Who knew in that moment, a tragedy so stark
Was brewing just beneath their feet
Who knew they were about to embark
On a journey with no retreat
It began with a roar, a thunderous roar
That emerged from the bowels of the earth
Wild drumbeats that penetrated the core
That din, to eternal darkness, gave birth
Then came the tremors, like the earth was cold,
Shivering then trembling, then angry like the waves
They shook and faltered, the towers, young and old
That moment dug a thousand graves
What followed was pandemonium, mad chaos,
Collapsing buildings, shrieks and cries
The victory ground, now a pathos
Of maimed bodies under the dark skies
Those sixty seconds of nature’s wrath
Showed man his place in the universe it had woven
Left traumatized souls in its aftermath
And many hearts broken, many words unspoken
***Written as part of an exercise at Write Club Bangalore on Therapeutic Writing
Dreams Unlimited 