Flood, then and now

Flood, then and now

The providence, I must thank
having been born on a riverbank
the mighty is the river, miles wide
then overall seasons she never dried
Grown on her bank in a rural setup
with undisturbed nature showing up
her sonic melody, serene and sweet
her scenic beauty for her votaries’ treat.
Her water I drank, and played on her sand
swam across streams to her mid-bed land
submerged in flood but blooms out again
with fertility from the flood but wail the men
to play hide and sick and pluck berries, a plenty
to part with youngsters as an elder’s duty.
Her rapture and rage in the extreme form
in me had etched reverences for her awesome.
A thought to pen from her wonder
even an infinite small in measure
to all writers Par excellence as it stands
as if to count a fistful of her sands

With no dam to contain her flow
she maintained her natural show
swells then the river in the rain
fed from her originating mountain
and water on the bank, from the plain,
tributaries feeding her being the river's main
her branches also share her swell
bringing her basin on the ocean’s spell.
Today people may say
“Unpredictable was her way.”
with modern technology show
containing and constricting her flow
tries to control, the man her fury uncertain
in the process sure, never the man has won.
Reveal the woes of the human tale
fighting with nature men always fail.

Then, Comes it every year with rain
over ages, man endures the pain
deriving from this pain, the pleasure
many her such pearls man longed to treasure
as this was accepted as a gesture of nature
Unlike today a man then propitiated her
by way of not coming on her ways
in contrast to modern man displays
inflicting on nature today

exploiting it in many a way

Today you may call it superstition
with then propitiation
when predicted they
the flood on the river bay
that failed in their forecast, never
they move to places altitudes higher
excelled, they, in their prediction
over today’s statistical calculation
likely to miss a boundary condition
as a curse of environmental degradation.
over ages and generations, man bears its pain
enduring it being sure in her bane lies his gain.

Recollect I with memory nostalgic
on coexistence, the flood’s magic
in harmony stay enemies bitter
with pets and valuables to treasure
over the hilly land made by nature
where flood water reached never.
on a float of plantain stems move they
from place to place on the water bay
to arrange necessities together to stay
jointly cocking dining without distinction
sharing pleasure and pain in the darkness
together praying Lord to end the crisis
Bening never afraid of live snake poison
any mishap on that account I heard none.
since ages three to four days are fury’s duration
with faith in the river, on this they were certain.
Men folk, some stay close to their dwellings
on the tall trees guarding their belongings.
Hunger and thirst elderly men bear with a smile
while helping those in need and who are ill.
Brave some swim the turbulent water
some with boats go to mid-river
to save men or animals being swept away
and to pick up precious materials on the bay.
Since infancy, I have been seeing this furry
and in it, I have seen man’s bravery and her glory
teaching and training a man to stand to a life
which is not a bed of roses but full of similar strife.
Her whirls and current taught me to be fearless
later life in live many such perils to face with boldness
No helicopter was available to view those woes
worsened on the date, on nature, human blows
to throw food packets for dwellers to fight
they survived then harmoniously devoid of such sight.
well-prepared were men to rebuild the house
to her flood and nature without grouse
with no expenditure
by joint family labor taking help from nature
with straws and palm leaves as rockover
mud walls around to make a room cooler
tree branches and bamboo used to prop
cow dung wash making the house tiptop.
in contrast today technology show
anticipating no flood and its fury low
built in the banks' buildings sky high
crushed by flood within the twinkle of an eye
Man’s ingenuity cannot fight with disturbed nature
after the wise man has not reached the creator’s stature.
Her flood blesses the farmer
with rich fertilizer
carrying with her water, current
swept from forests lying latent
The blame for spoiling the field
by spreading sand restricting its yield
I had never seen it in person
salute I the river opposing this proposition.

On conclusion
my opinion on a comparison
on flood then and now
then not containing her water flow
with no dam and embankment,
no disturbance to the environment
no underground subways
over the river no highways
no sky-kissing mansions around
now going deep spoiling beneath the ground
now enriching upstream extreme
making riverbed desert at downstream
Embankments arresting water drain
diverting it to erupt the plain.
upstream dam constricting her water flow
affecting downstream driving them to woe
in stead cool flowing water
most of the seasons they from hot sand suffer
disturbing nature
past was surely better.
A modern-day argument
favoring such achievements
in the name of civilization
by environmental exploitation
have raised the fury of flood to bite
to unexpected and uncertain heights.

As an infant and then as a child
me, my mother’s anger had beguiled
always loving calm and mild
but at times got angry, wild
later I learned for my good as her child
through anger blessings, she piled
in our river, I saw my mother.
for our benefit, she expressed her anger
to protect her and nature
or else extinct will be our human race forever.

P K Routray
in the service of the Lord

(I was born and brought up on the bank of a mighty river Mahanadi in Odisha)