For Nepal - I Am Moved | Elegy By Usha • High On Poems

Photo by Maurizio Costanzo – mavik2007

The asphalt glints silver
As the pitter- patter of my feet
Mingle with the sounds of laughter,
Anticipation and wonder
Seem to echo from the brilliance
Of the mountains as they glint,
Glow and rejoice in the sun.
Now I run, as I move,
Quick as lightning darting to and fro.
My mother’s cry to slow down
And my father’s – let him go,
Resound in my ears
As I scamper towards the red,
The red of the pagoda as it beckons
Beckons me to reach within.
I slip and trip and steady myself,
The sight is awe-aspiring;
The spire seems to glide
As it breaches the air wide,
Spreads out the red from ancient yores
Harmonizes in a dance with the
Warm, welcoming and resounding
peals of bells within;
I am moved.
I am still now, as I wait for them to catch up,
My breath moves fast to regain lost air,
My head is tilted upwards as I gaze
At the deep red outlined in the azure of the sky,
I am moved.
But, what is this now?
My eyes have begun to water-
Is it the tears in my eyes or the brown haze that seems to unfurl;
My mother’s calls have a feverish pitch,
There seems to be a chorus along with hers
The temple bells toll in discord
I close my ears with my palms,
I discover, I am moving.
The earth is now moving,
I’m tripping and falling, sliding-cannot steady myself,
there’s an avalanche it seems-
It’s people, people everywhere-
Cries of agony that petrify my core
There’s only Mother Nature to be found
Breaching the ground
With terrifying sounds,
The reds and browns are all around
I am moved.
All around the dust engulfs, I choke
I hear sniffling and rub the grit
To clear my vision
Which only seems to see red
I call out- Ma, Baba?
The air is still, not a whisper
As all settles,
Then
Near my feet
The long crevice, the fingers
Reaching upwards, my mothers ring
Still peeks out from the dust,
Besides a still figure, with head tilted upwards
He did let me go, even as he
Was looking for the azure of the sky.
I Am Moved.
I am motionless as everything whirls around
I am too young for something so profound
Too perplexed to grasp the enormity
Caused by
The upheaval of a Mother’s bosom
My breath is shallow, my heart thuds
Then through the dust,
Two arms reach out –
my grandma hugs
I am moved.