लौटाव

लौटाव

Many were known
Countless unknown
Quite away from shore
Not visible any more
Breath shortened
Lack of life air saw no end
Painful departure
Struggled giving final gesture
No time given
To say good-bye even
Children orphaned
Crisis deepened
Grief stricken
Tragedy befallen
Mourners restricted
Last honors limited
Many who treated yesterday
No more today
Loss unbearable
Remembrance unbelievable
Wave swept away lives
But hope thrives
Daily bread snatched
Misery unmatched
Streets deserted
Means evaporated
Days spent in hunger
Nights bereft of slumber
Distant from native place
In search of solace
Waited for help
Fended for self
It seemed all over
May not see loved ones ever
But do-gooders descended
Worsening prevented
Misfortune ended
Disaster averted
The calamity tried
However humanity survived
We owe them a debt of gratitude
For shouldering responsibility of this magnitude
Wave swept away livelihood 
But faith withstood
 

-Abhay Sharma, CSIR-IGIB