Corona: Mother Nature’s Message to Humanity

Donning your magnificent crown

You set out to build an empire,

An empire too big that no emperor ever built before.

From your humble abode of Wuhan

You have travelled far and wide,

Conquered the whole world in months.

Even the British Empire where sun never set

Has become so tiny.

The mighty British, Persians, Romans and Spaniards

Bow to the ground and surrender without any protest.

Despite the most advanced technology at our arsenal,

You have brought all the mighty to their knees.

Your origin still unknown,

You cast intolerance and racism among nations.

Your atrocities all-pervasive,

Your reign of terror omnipresent,

The whole world gripped by your juggernaut;

You are the king of the kings,

The emperor of the emperors.

Many fell victims to your wrath,

Thousands bade farewell to their loved ones,

Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and relatives,

Lying inside a serpentine queues of coffins,

Piling up to erect the mound of dead;

And many more are lying in hospital beds,

Hospital walls reverberated with moans and sobs

Life hovering in uncertainty between death and life.

Your lockdown has brought untold misery to us.

With not guarantee of food and shelter for many poor,

Thousands brave relentless summer heat and rain,
Walking thousands of miles to be with the family;

Many have died mid-way

From starvation, deprivation, and scorching heat.

Story of unrelenting tragedy all around,

The world is engulfed with innumerable personal tragedies.

Very quiet and tranquil,

You made the whole world kneel before you.

The whole earth has gone to perpetual deep sleep,

There is only fear on the earth,

Fear and panic let loose on the earth,

Nothing left on the earth but fear,

Horror, heartbreak, and panic all around.

The cloud of uncertainty hovering,

Humanity has become so alienated and moribund.

We are looking up at the sky for magic healing;

The stars and moons are laughing at us.

Everything is in standstill and all work halted,

Only your casualties grow to staggering numbers each day.

Our heroes are fighting with splendid heroism,

But they are only fighting with the invisible force.

While humanity is grieving

And living every moment in fear,

Oh, Mother Nature, you are all smiling and glowing.

Your pale and dull look disappeared,

The dust that masks your beauty is gone,

Your glow has become increasingly brighter,

Your beauty so captivating,

All the beholders enthralled and seduced.

What a repercussion!

Now you have gifted this mask to us

And it has become our new fashion.

The sky is blue, the air is clean,

Can see gleaming snows of the Himalayas from afar,

The trees glitter with fresh green leaves,

The scent of flowers travels long distance,

Birds are chirping and signing in glory,

Toxics-liberated rivers are flowing again with full vigour,

Everyone is singing and dancing,

Only humans are in sombre mood.

We are dreadfully silent now,

Our life so terrifying and unsettling.

The marching of hundred thousand hurry feet

Echoing down the busy street,

The hustle and bustle of city,

The noise of honking vehicle and train,

All become dead silent and deserted;

Everyone is celebrating the beauty of Nature.

Forests, rivers, oceans, moon, stars, and Sun,

All conspiring to punish us,

Seeking avenge for our cruelty and callousness.

Blinded by greed and folly,

We extracted all the natural resources

By all of us, for all of us,

Ravaged forests and cut trees with impunity,

Pollute lake and oceans,

Choking rivers and polluting skies,

Spewing intolerable cruelty and unforgivable exploitation,

Human folly transcends borders.

A constellation of problems we created;

In a place where everyone lived in harmony,

Humans greed prevailed over peaceful co-existence

Between humans, non-humans and nature;

We have become so habituated

That we give no attention to the suffering of others.

Even in anger, you can’t hide your love for humanity,

Your punishment comes with a precious gift,

The long-deprived time together with family.

In the race of competition and livelihood,

We all forgot our family;

TV and mobiles have become

Closest friends, father and mother of our children.

Oh, Mother Nature!

We always ignore your warning;

You sent Ebola, swine flu, Nipah

When we infiltrated your territory

And disregard the distance between us.

Now, you have taught us the lesson

And we have learnt it.

Please give us a chance to amend our past wrongs;

Please show us a ray across this storm-torn ocean.

The night seems long,

Dispel the cloud of fear,

Let the sorrow and despair sink away,

Let the magic healing save humanity.