CHERNOBYL

En route to the IUCAA Girawali Observatory; Pune, India. Courtesy: Uddeepta Deka

There’s smoke all around

And I’m calling you from behind

The shady garden, scared and callow;

A summer full of fear, where even

Rustling of leaves fallen dry

Is making me

Nervous and hollow.

The water’s burning red,

The dog’s trembling blue,

But I’m holding on to your

Promises - the old and the new.

Standing on the hearth

Remembering those good old days,

For rain I beg you to pray.

You say it’s too late now,

With an aching heart I pause

To see the silhouette

Slowly fading away.

Estranged and empty,

The only cigarette I lit

Turned into ashes

Memories bitter and sweet.

With desolation and despair,

Through the meadows I glance

At the moon shining gray.

I crawl back to the dog,

Look at her watery eyes

And whisper, “You’ll live

To see another day”.

I follow the river now,

I hear the wind blow,

The apocalypse is over

But the scars - fresh, aglow.

Somewhere deep within I know,

I made the bridges crumble under

The burden of expectations;

Numb as I walk I become,

In flames went away my strength,

But I hear crystal clear

Echoes of your accusations.

The raindrops trickle cold,

You must’ve prayed, of course,

A new dawn awaits I see,

Pure as gold down the course.

And I hope you’ll know

Whenever I am in pain,

I’ll wait for the rain

To drench me again,

And I’ll wait for the rain

To drench my scars again.