When Tragedy Strikes

Nature vents her fire and fury,

An unsuspecting crowd caught unawares,

Unrelenting her assault, water crossing bounds,

Her wrath does not distinguish, rich or poor,

Hell is out there knocking on every door.

When flood water washes away roads and homes,

Lands slip, houses crumble like a pack of cards,

Life on tenterhooks, water levels rise,

Instantly the human spirit springs to action,

Act together as one, and wait for no divine intervention.

Common civilians, local fishermen,

Out on the streets with makeshift boats,

Shifting the weak and helpless to safety,

Tirelessly going out in search of more shelter,

Beyond caste, creed, or class, humanity is the only factor.

Moments of grief and destruction make you realize,

The unpredictability of life, twists of fate,

One day could change your entire life,

Yet why this pride, the thirst for more,

When you can't even control what tomorrow has in store.

Yet these were the times when you could see,

The power of immense love that we are capable of,

Beyond selfish needs and personal greed,

Help poured in from everywhere,

Beyond borders or nations, bound only by care.

Yet why are we the same who get fooled,

By the empty rhetoric of divisive politics,

When a few seeking power draw the lines of hatred,

Over our hearts and minds, why do we let them rule,

Their malevolence turns us into fools.

Why wait for a tragedy to let kind hearts rule cold minds,

Rise every single time against those who seek to divide,

To help the weak, the harassed, the victimized,

To oppose and fight each injustice, be not silent,

One for all and all for one, be always the sentiment.