The star- studded night the day before
Enveloped with the rising moon
Quietly slid away as the morn sunshine
Hastily rode into the sky
The sunbeams spread drowning the stars
The moon disappeared
Behind the gathering grey clouds
Evening crept silently eliminating the sun
The stars, the moon shivered
And
Hid themselves
Trembling at the thrashing clouds
The day was sore no one aware what was in store
As usual, he went to enjoy a game of tennis
Happy to join his friends
After a long, long lockdown stay at home
“I’ll be home after an hour or so,” he said to his adorable wife
And
Waving a fond goodbye vanished from view
As the pretty, doting wife closed the door behind him
All of a sudden, the clouds clashed
A roaring thunder pierced the shrieking ears
As a mild voice urged her to visit the hospital
Where her precious jewel
Lay unaware of his enveloping dark world
She rushed madly to perceive her beloved
Though with open eyes
Blank and stable, unrecognizable
Mouth aghast surprised with a question mark
Writ large and grey
Lifeless hands dangling down the bed
Staggered, no words could she scream
As her gorgeous world collapsed abruptly
The ground slipped beneath her feet
Even as she struggled to believe the unbelievable
Barely an hour ago her jolly hubby smiling and waving
Assuring to return within an hour
To enjoy the delectable dishes
His adorable wife daily prepared for him
Had left her inconsolably alone in this wide, wide world
The wailing thunder in her heart matched the raging clouds
Clashing and beating the earth with whipping fury
“Oh, God, is this true? Has he left me alone without a word?”
“No, no this is a lie; who will believe this rotten news?”
“What will I tell my little children away in a foreign land?”
In the morning he had spoken to them as always
Now,
“How can I convey this dreadful news to his doting children?
His apples of the eye,”
And
Assuring herself that teary prayers will bring him back
She closed her eyes
To muster up her fading courage to finally accept
Her loved one will never return to her
The night was long the night was fierce
The moonless night darkened the groaning earth beneath
The birds became silent, sharing the grief
The blooming roses, his favorite closed their petals
As if aware of the befallen tragedy
Phones began to tamper the night
Shrilly shrieking the horrible truth
Dismayed the family sobbed
A young blissful life snatched rudely from their midst
The young, young girls unable to believe the fateful news
Sob incessantly
As tearfully, they boost their courage for the last rites
God in heaven looked down upon them
Probably to console the inconsolable
Even as the young teary wife gathers up her courage
To bid a last farewell to her better half
Putting up a brave front before her youthful siblings
Now grown overnight with grave responsibilities
God spare them from this torturous suffering
Bless them with your peace
Protect the family from all harm
Give them the courage to fight this tiring world
With grace and beauty
Lead them on the path of your glory
Never to falter, never to lose their will
Never to lose Hope
To rise above the ashes
Om Shanti
~ Shobha Diwakar
Jabalpur, India
It’s true a sudden demise of a loved one who was as healthy as one can be is like a mountain crashing down on you. Yes in such situations young children mature overnight. The burden of pain & tragic misery besides new responsibilities must be weighing on all of them terribly. Let’s pray for the dear departed’s soul to rest in peace & may God give his loving family the courage to face this terrible loss.