MARKENDEYA

He held onto me, shivering in fear,
clutching at my body ,burning with fear....


I held on too, staring death in the eye,
trying to will myself away from looking at the precipice below....

Rushing past us were fresh dead bodies,floating on the tears of the mighty ganges,
entire houses swept away as if the gods swept away their toys in one swift non chalant swing

None of my family survived the landslide,
the entire earth that stood caved upon my life sucking my family and a hundred others...

wild stock, children old aged sufferers all taken
on their last journey towards destiny's final chapter


I held onto him , my son as the only symbol of hope,
clutching and gnawing at the earth and making higher ground,
slowly and slowly I let my tears far away, crying silently....

With just a biscuit for food, a hungry petrified son,
roaring angry Ganga , falling boulders and the prospect of meeting YAMA
 I hung on hoping against hope that we could survive

for three days I slept on the cold floor, at the feet of the lord himself
spending all my energy on prayer,my son and survival....

I wished I had died too, but the presence of my son was my only source of strength

The ganges rose teasingly, tantalisingly close,
like a snake moving in for its kill,
I sat there now counting my seconds to death....

I could only hope
my son would survive,


His name was MARKANDEYA ,
the one who cheated death....