The southern city of Chennai was having a normal day,
Little did it know that in a few days it would be swept away.
The people of Chennai were going about their work,
Unaware that danger from the skies lurked.
The city with clogged sewers and encroachments began getting heavy rainfall,
The relentless downpour on the weekend disrupted traffic and affected one and all,
The citizens grumbled seeing the rain while at the door,
Now we have to get wet, they thought not knowing what they had in store.
The skies were black when Monday came,
The intensity of the rains was the same.
Braving the rains they reached their workplace,
Occasionally worrying about the weather while going about their daily work at the usual pace.
That evening they struggled to reach home because of the waterlogged roads,
The skies had opened and the drains were blocked and closed.
Weary from the travel, they called it a day,
While they were sleeping, the water level increased and it was raining away.
They then woke up to a fully fledged nightmare.
The lakes surrounding the city were full, the weight of the water they could not bear.
The municipal officers had no choice but to breach the biggest lake,
Angry water swirled into the usually dry river, leaving destruction and death in its wake.
The river water level rose and rose much to the peoples dismay,
Swallowed the buildings, the bridges, the roads in its way,
There was no way to stop the deluge and the water from entering their homes,
Angry river washed away roads and gates and lives amid cries and groans.
Power was shut down and phone lines were dead,
The city was dark, the skies were still angry, filling everyone's heart with terror and dread.
Parts of the city were submerged overnight.
For basic needs like water and milk, rich and poor alike had to fight.
In this darkness, people searched for light and hope,
Found that they had it within themselves and rose above the darkness to find a way out, to cope.
They formed teams, made food, got blankets and went in search of people in need,
For every cry, there was someone who would heed.
The crowd pooled supplies and sourced resources and tried their very best,
The army, the navy, the air force came in to take care of the rest.
Though the light was spreading, many lost their lives to the rains,
Cars, bikes, homes succumbed to the water which was supposed to go down into the drains,
Trash and sewage entered homes and lanes,
Diseases and displacement added to the pains.
Peoples homes were washed away,
Along with their savings and belongings, on that fateful rainy day.
Brick by brick the city needs to rebuild itself,
Prayer and hope should sustain it from within, along with love and help.
The infrastructure needs to be revamped,
Nature should reclaim its rivers, its ponds, its marshes and its swamps.
We must embrace change and work towards a better city,
A city devoid of plastic, open sewage, and illegal buildings, a city pristine and pretty.
We deserve a better place to stay,
Is something which people think and say.
So go do your bit to help Chennai regrow,
Good governance, good waste disposal and clean habits can make our city much better than the one we know.
Let us love ourselves enough and use the relief funds,
To build a better future for our loved ones.
Let us all overcome our sorrow,
And build for ourselves a beautiful city for a better tomorrow.
