The Rains of Rampur

In the heart of South East Asia, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh
Comes word from Mother Nature, "I have come to destroy you all."
As rain grew even stronger, refugee lines grew ever longer,
It caused drenching and flash flooding, and then they had to make the call.
The deluge occurred in early evening, what else would befall.
In shadow of Mt. Everest, tall.

As the flood continued to rise, it caught the villages by surprise,
One cloudburst then another, made the villagers search for cover
The rain continued day by day, the railway system suffered delay.
Tracks were caught in moving mud slides, must have time to recover.
Shrines and temples, some were damaged as men of God discover.
And rain clouds continue to hover!

Standing there in risk and the rubble, I knew that we were in more trouble,
As the evening darkened 'round me, I could hear a baby crying
We could see the lightning flashing, we could hear the thunder crashing,
There were bodies stacked like cord wood, I saw families all denying.
Carefully, I observed the people as they pressed on truly trying,
Even now, I hear them sighing.

The harsh rains continue falling and it appears as there's no stalling.
Weary people man their shovels as they attempt to divert the flood,
Down the roads and in the ditches water rises till it reaches,
Flood stage and begins destruction where once there was no sliding mud.
Saturated soil along the hillsides turn to mud, then to blood,
As mud struck valley with a thud.

Thousands of the sick and needy, infants, and the growing greedy ,
Found themselves in utter wastelands facing nature's attack,
yet they rummaged in sorrow,for human needs to beg or borrow,
rains kept falling and conditions were appalling, no turning back.
The storm continues raging, the children weeping, and the aged lack.
Weeping and moaning, don't look back.

And then reflected on the temple plenty of issues that are not simple.
Life begins another cycle as the sun provides warmth and light.
Despite carnage, sickness, sorrow we began to face the morrow,
Painted elephants parade the streets offering sweets a happy sight!
And they celebrated life and mercy. from the horror of the night.
And protect us with all Thy might!

With the sun fully risen, we searched the land for those imprisoned,
Buried by the mud slides and overflowing lakes besides,
In our boats we checked the river raging currents made us shiver.
Found bodies of some children on the edges of the mud slides,
we saw their faces, gathered from a dozen places, tried to hide
Near the village where they resided.

We found several hundred bodies in the mud slides, and river,
Next we plied surrounding places, and found a dozen in the lake,
Soon funeral pyres were blazing and families were gazing,
As the fires consumed their loved ones all for heavens sake,
And the residue deposited in the rivers and on the lakes.
Waiting for the day when they awake.

Author's note: Rampur is in the state of Uttar Pradesh.