Met him on the way

Dehydrated and drained (out)
by the fierce face of the sun,
the boy looked at his mother.
She put her hand on the
heated head of the boy,
wrapped him with her anchal,
and said, Don't worry, he will come...

The eyes burned, and
breathing was difficult,
the boy pressed his mother's hand.
She sensed temperature running high,
took water from an almost empty vessel,
and wiped his face and hands,
and said, When he comes, he will bring coolness...

The feet bled, the earth was burning too,
as they walked through sick and dying cattle,
the boy looked fearfully at his mother.
She caressed him lovingly
with her frail, skinny hand,
and then tumbled with hunger and fatigue,
but said, He will be green and with life...

The desert sand thirsty
for the mother's blood,
was slowly inching away her breath,
the boy held onto her shaking body,
bewildered, and with tears in his eyes.
She hugged him one last time,
and said, He will make you strong...

Parting with the only soul he knew,
the boy walked distances,
surviving through the odds,
met ailing lives all along the way,
dying and decaying civilizations.
His mother's words rang in his ears,
as he journeyed through time...

Sensing movement, he looked up at the sky,
saw birds and walked on their way,
the sky got darker, the air fell silent.
He waited for signals, and then got startled -
the sky roared, and glared with lightening,
the winds drew cooler and danced with speed,
as the sky burst open in one mad pouring!

The rivers flew, the trees grew,
the rejoices of birds and cattle
knew no bounds; thus available
to drink was water, to eat was food,
(with) men and women healthy and strong,
villages spurted again with life good!
His mother's words came true, he
determined to take the learnings of life
back to his home, he closed his eyes,
and spoke to his mother within...

Mother, it wasn't anyone else
for which you had to leave,
and everyone had to suffer;
it was us, it was us, ourselves! -
who razed the greens, and fell the trees,
who soiled the earth, and killed the rivers!
But I know now, how to resurrect...

Yes, he came, and brought down the heat,
spurted the greens and nurtured the lives,
made our hands and hearts, healthy and strong,
and thus revealed he to me,
the secret call to him, the trees
that are to him, the dear most!
And thus wisened I am, taking to our home,
this friend of his, of ours all...

Yes mother, as you had said,
(I) met rain on the way!

- Nayan
7:30 pm, 24th April 2018
On train, Trivandrum to Thrissur