Listen And I’ll Tell You All! (A Story Of Flood Victim) Poem by Ayesha Riaz

No longer the corner of classes stood,
He stood there in silence,
Realizing the death,
That laid on his icy hands,
Turning to all eyes,
Wishing it would have been a nightmare only,

Watching the wavelets devastating every bit,
He was losing more than he could afford,
The wind bloweth whither it listeth,
His heart too full for words,
The sights of people patrolling on sidewalks,
He stood there for someone who could listen and he'll tell him all,

It all vanished, it flooded the memories,
No mewling of sheep,
No giggles, no laughter,
And no cheer of toddlers,
No claps of little ones,
No wooden sticks,
That he fixed long ago to pose slingshots,

He saw the bangles,
Of his mother falling apart from her wrists,
Broken bangles scattered all around,
A golden Allah rested on her chest,
The chain burrowed under the skin tags and folded her neck,
As she lay down in hustle,

He stood there with empty hands,
Everything was no more they way it was,
The whole world around was orbiting,
Seeing everything flick and change,
Who'd knew better than him,
Who'd knew better than him the despair,
Of losing people who are your first memories,

Earlier this day,
What must he had planned,
Eating Popsicles with his mates,
Having candied bites of baker's Gulab Jamans,
Planning for a relay race,
Swarming up the neighbor's tree,
And plucking mangoes when the watchmen's away,
To buy a new pair of shoes,

But he has lost the older ones already,
Everything has swept away,


He's there in the sight,
Of screams for help,
Of tears that seep down the cheeks,
In the cacophony of losing people,
From mellifluous,
From bread and butter,
To home less,
Form dawn,
To frightening dusk,
Form grins,
To frowns,
He is hopeless,
Waiting for a new dawn,

Where no water would plunge into houses,
Where he won't be flooded,
Where no tiny legs, would sack under muddy water,
Where no mother would cry,
Where there will be the colors of sunshine,
Colors of new dawn,
Colors of his culture,
Ready to shine again for ever,

Will you wait till I return?
Till I return,
Listen and I'll tell you all…

Written on 3/24/11