Lonely Witness

Can't get the family of four Indians,  who drowned in the US out of my head. What a sad end of talented kids and a wonderful family.
Priyanka Indranil Saved by the grace of God....It was same week you guys had the accident.

There was a bridge
Over a stagnant river
Purple bruised with wilting
Flowers at its banks
Where its wet feet
Touched earthy shores

The beautiful hut laden
With hay
In a country village
Fat away,
Heavy conical roof
And quaint mud walls
Wearing pretty peepholes
For windows
The door had chalked markings
Auspicious symbols
Warding off evil

It wafted over
The four breezes,
From the corners if the earth
Ominous forebodings, evil
Silence settled on the hearth
Of this lonesome home.

The windows gaped like
Hungry hopeless eyes
The door waited
Like an usher
At an empty theatre.
But the loved ones
Would never return.

The setting was a stage
Nature play acting
Something was off
In this quiet Eden.

Meanwhile, far away,
The river had become somnolent
But only last weak it had reared
Medusa heads of raging fury
Swallowed whole a
Family of four.

They had stopped their car
by its banks
To avoid heavy rain.
Toppling over its edge
Unable to quantify
Or calculate
The hairline breadth
Between danger
Of oblivion
And oblivious safety.

The giddy fall
From dizzying heights
Of terror
The river sizzling
With greedy gusto
To swallow whole
An entire family.
Four souls
Taken

The mournful hut
Had stood witness
Faithfully,
In treacherous fateful
Silence.

I saw this
In my head
Sad sojourn
The last journey
Of the Dead.

(c) Amrita Valan 2018