when clouds gather in the sky, darken
rumbles knock against the heart, harken
listen you mayn’t but can you not hear?
see you refuse to but will the omen disappear?
a long time ago in a clear blue sky
clouds had come drenched and nimbus
ruin in hue, murmuring, “die!”
howling destruction, time erebus
a land was lost, dreams were stilled
rain fell shimmering, keening shrilled
the sky was quiet, and deaf and blind
refugee we became you and i
first steps into a new world, a trance
don’t stop! said the disembodied voice
galaxies, universes whirled in their dance
the sky left chaos, the night and the noise
calm returned and clear, cerulean
a land was ours, dreams called, promethean
faith returned, trust in tow
soon we forget all we know
and time went by and we believed in our tales
when the sky grew dark we said, “soon it’ll be light.”
and nimbus laughed in torrents and gales
and refugee again we became you and i
…………………………..
……………………………………………
in 1980 during the assam agitation, we were forced to leave our home. now again in 2021, my home is refused to me. a strange feeling… unsettling, restless, somewhat devastating. what is home? where? who?
featured photo edited from the original by estair robbins.
