It is the monsoon season

Dark clouds hang as if icicles

A breath of cool breeze

Eases the melting sweat draining along the cheeks

 Rosy red and charred because of the heat

A clash of thundering clouds rents the environment

 Birds rush to nestle in their dainty nests

 Hanging and resting on the boughs of green laden leaves

 They heave a sigh of relief

 Their young ones are tenderly tucked under their wings

A wailing cry greets the ears

 Somewhere a cat is drenched, a dog wails

The night grows dark and weary

The monsoon rains elsewhere, drown the cities

A hush settles down as desperate people

Pluck a few belongings

To save their lives

Yet in another part of the country

Angry winds howl and yelp

Scattering dust and dead leaves across the weary roads

 Empty and vacant as the screeching glares of the sun halt life

Indoors the zoom of the rattling fans

And the not so cool breeze of the coolers

 And

The AC strives vigorously to dry the sweat

Tumbling down the forehead

A few raindrops cloud the frames of the windows

And dulls perception

A seamless figure crosses the path invisible to the eye

The front doorbell echoes

Just then, clouds bang and blast the dull eerie surroundings

It seems as though the monsoon is finally resounding its arrival

The indoor curtains hail the storming rains

 They fly, curve, swirl and rest

Then swirl again in a joyful ecstasy

But

 Soon a gush of the wind wildly drives away the dark clouds

The sorrowful cries of the farmers go unheeded

 Nature is furious

Nature is wild

It lashes and twirls angrily

The surging waves devour the land and all along with it

Grieving and weary, exhausted and drained

Weeping eyes dismayed and perplexed

Scan the heavens for reprieve

Monsoon blasts elsewhere

Here calm settles down

 Rains disappear in agony

Perhaps they have spilled all its contents

                                                                                  ~ Shobha Diwakar  

                                                                                   Jabalpur, India