My dear friends, my readers, I hope the football fever we all had, has now worn off? Well we cannot stop talking about it can we? It is as if we want all the problems in Iraq, Israel/Gaza Strip, Ukraine,the droughts and now the floods to go away and to hide behind football! Well they don’t! I wonder if the floods and droughts are a signal from nature/God( or who ever/ what ever you believe in) to wake us up to real problems, we our own wonderful selves have created!

Today I post a poem which I wrote a very long time ago when India had been hit by a giant Tsunami causing destruction and death in the south of India.  It’s written like the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.You can have a look at my favourite Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner for the background and meaning of the poem, for the poem in its pure form is on http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253, this is a great page with some poems of Emily Dickinson as well: 'Tell all the truth but tell it Slant' and 'Now I knew I lost her'.

As for what happened in India during the devastating ‘ChristmasTsunami’ have a look at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami

 My poem ( I am NOT comparing myself Coleridge), has two parts before and after, that is, what happened during the crisis and what to learn from it, without any obvious division made. I have tried to make the tempo fast in the beginning and then suddenly slow, as most natural disasters occur. Also it starts lyrically and then it becomes more of a dramatic monologue.  Yes, I know it’s kind of long and preachy!

You know, during the World Cup Football, we all got together to cheer teams from different countries, so we all can come together, but for what? A fight about a round object! Amazing! Aren’t we a confused set of being! Next what Commonwealth Games?

Facts Till Date Published in Media: Deaths in Gaza  600+ civilians,Malaysian Flight  298,Iraq ,1500
Total  more than 3000 deaths in the course of twenty days!

Forget deaths due to famine, malnutrition, crimes of passion and disease.

                       

Well, I am in kind of a preachy mood, let me just have that cup of Brazil bean coffee….no wait it’s too weak, I think I will go for the  Turkish blend! Ja wunderbar!......

Nature's Wave

Water, water, everywhere,

and not a drop to drink,

Water, water, everywhere,

And Oh! Our lives did sink!

All were enjoying the festive season,

All across the land,

Then came that mighty wave,

And stuck us in the sand.

Oh God! What did we do to deserve,

such a  slap so hard?

Where is my house ?

Where is my tree ?

Where are the books and toys ?

Where is my spouse?

Where is my hearth?

Where is my life?

Where  are the children who played in the yard?

Away, away, all washed away,

We all are dazed,

The day passes to the next day,

Land and sea still rumble now and then,

We are now all cramped,

Like pigs in a pen,

Waiting for help and hope,

Help trickles in,

Too late too little,

And then too much!                                                    (Still more reading to go)

Help always comes late,

They wait, watch and wait,

Till the disaster comes,

They watch the disaster,

Till their hands become numb,

‘No, no, no Tsunami or enemy will never ever here come’

And the enemy through history always has!

Nature cannot be stopped.

But, let us pause and think,

What has been so good about all this?

There have been acts of kindness, bravery and compassion,

The world has come together to help and aide,

The affected nations.

Do we need a disaster,

To come and help each other out?                                          (It’s almost over)

Do we need tall towers to fall,

An earthquake, to shakes our senses about?

To help each other and come together,

Only when we fear we will be wiped out?

Tears will be shed in the east and west,

Maybe it’s a test?

A call from Nature,

To make us wake up,

Or, maybe it is to tells us that,

Man tries very hard,

To control nature,

To pollute natures air,

To pollute natures land,

 Pierce through the earth and cut green,

For our own comfort,

And give nothing back?                                                          (Ok,Just a little bit more)

We build satellites and communications in air,

But we forget to talk nicely to others,

We build bridges and building on land,

But we cannot find the right way and develop a good society,

We pack and purify water, oil, diamonds and gold,

 But we don’t try and purify our souls.

Yes,we have come together,

in time of crisis,

But let us come together,                               (You have read so far? Go on it’s almost over)

At other times too?

God helps those people,

who help themselves and others two!

Man cannot conquer Nature,

And that’s true

They say that time and tide wait for none,

And Nature never does too!

Water, water, everywhere,

And not a drop to drink,

Water, water, gone away,

Let us stop and think?

Why is it that all man come together?

Only when we all fear we sink?

Its over! Thank you for reading soooo far down!!