The Disastrous Quake
Hiding behind a hazy cloud
That hung above the darkening earth,
The pale moon looked portentous,
Sensing perhaps the imminent doom!
Nothing stirred, no noise was heard:
The bustling towns sank into slumber
Under the spreading shroud of gloom.
When all of a sudden,
A strange, sub-terranian thunder
The earth's bowels tore,
Pierced the ominous calm
And shook the silent towns
With a hideous roar.
Stately towers and humble homes
Convulsed and crumbled
Behind clouds of dust and smoke.
Wails and moans and screams and groans
Rent the midnight air.
Men and women, mangled and maimed,
Orphaned children, battered and bruised
Crawled from the gaping jaws of Death,
Their erstwhile homes,
Now their graves, streaked with blood.
Dreadful spectacle, heart-rending,
Of splendid towns, centuries old,
Smashed in a moment of nature's wrath,
Reduced to rubble at one ruthless stroke,
Victims injured, on the verge of Death -
A groaning heap of shattered hopes!
*** M.G.Narasimha Murthy,
*Recent earthquakes: April 2015- Nepal was shaken by an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude, killing 8,959 people, injuring
22,303more and destroying 7,76,895 buildings including 131 historic monuments. This week, Myanmar, Japan and Ecuadar have been shattered causing huge loss of life and destruction of property.
