Autumn, the season of varied hues

Enhances Nature’s beauty

With the foliage adorned in beautiful shades

Of red, orange, yellow

But this same autumn

Brought untold sorrow in our hearts

Dwindling away the colours of happiness before our very eyes

The medley of life lost its way in the maze of deathly shock

Agitated, agonized and with flooded eyes

We gazed blankly at one another

Rendered speechless by the stormy news

United we prayed and hoped it was untrue

But, unfortunately

You did leave us all desolated and completely broken down

In a dreary abysmal of emptiness

A year has passed

Our eyes are starved for your

Mischievous smiles with a twinkle in your eyes

The unpredictable funny things you would come up with

Your comforting loving words in the hour of need

Never ever did it cross our mind

That one so healthy could also be nipped away

Rendering the survivors into mere zombies!

Since we can’t fight against the laws of Nature

So help us O Lord, the savior

To wade across this fathomless bereavement

And keep our dearest loving brother

Safe and sound under your wings

May his soul rest in peace.

Ohm Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!

                                       ~Anuradha Bannore

                                        Vadodara, India