The poem paints an alternately grim picture of Mother Earth ravaged by the coronavirus and a series of natural calamities, on the one hand, while on the other, nature restores itself to its original pristine state of natural beauty in which flora and fauna thrive

Nature at its best,

The world is secluded,

People are excluded,

From daily events,

But forced into routine chores.

Can this chaos last forever?

Will humans remain caged?

Until their days end in a rage…

Cora Bhatia

How long before hell breaks loose,

And the madness becomes footloose.

Humans are caged;

Animals are free from their cages,

Is nature finally getting its revenge?

Or will humans avenge…

Their seclusion with renewed rage?

The coronavirus has taken,

The world by storm,

Unabated chaos,

Unstoppable deaths,

Fear grips, panic attacks.

Nature thrives,

The sea and sky,

Are blue once again!

Birds chirp happily,

The seashores are clean.

The sea gulps in all the waste,

To swallow it into her deep recesses,

Now the shorelines are free of waste,

Tortoise and crabs walk the shores,

Dolphins swim nearer the shore.

The forests are filled with happy sounds,

Animals don’t run away frightened,

With the sound of a blazing gun…

For the hunter has become the hunted…

Hunted and locked within, by the virus.

Families have finally learned,

What they had long forgotten,

Togetherness, solidarity, happiness,

Staying together as one,

Caring for their young and old…

The environment is green, again,

People have learned to grow…

Their own food, vegetables, and fruit,

Composting their waste,

And harvesting their produce!

Never before, did humans,

Value their greens or their veggies so much…

Waste is a taboo word,

As every grain finds value on their tables,

As humans, cherish and taste their labour of fresh produce!

Somewhere, in the wilderness,

A bird sings in joy,

A lion roars; the animals are free,

Rivers flow freely, devoid of the muck,

Scattered by a messy human race!

The environment is saved!

Nature is victorious, breathes and grows green, again,

Humans have learned their lesson,

Leave nature alone, or she will get them.

Or have they?

Nature’s fury knows no bounds…

Locusts in their millions…

Devouring the crops…

Ravaging everything in its path…

Cyclones raging its wrath

Tearing apart roofs and homes…

Devouring everything in its path…

Humans are being put to the test…

Will they finally learn to be one with nature?

Or will they continue to abuse Mother Earth?

Cora Bhatia is a trained fashion designer, with 30-plus years’ experience in the international market. She is also a writer and freelance copyeditor, with 10-plus years’ experience. Editing, writing, fashion, and gardening are creative skills that keep her busy. She lives in Goa.