With the word ‘God’ imprinted on it
how could the vehicle face any kind of disaster?
with aandavan* blessing the exteriors of the van
how could its occupants succumb to any tragedy?
a confidence in a presumption lies disillusioned
and shattered on the tracks of super fast death.
An unmanned railway crossing and a driver in a hurry,
what better receipe to crush the life out of little souls
as they impatiently, tiredly waited to reach their homes?
Tiny bags, petite lifeless limbs surrounded
by an inquisitive crowd wanting to lap up more
of another unpredictable, unwarranted mishap.
‘Why them?’ ‘Why the poor little things?’
answers to such queries lie best unanswered.
‘It’s karma,’ say some. ‘It’s numbers,’ say others.
Some entity more powerful than all the power we claim to possess.
What was is no more and what will be will wither away too-
shrishti is like that only, accidental.
maya entraps us leaving us to mourn the death of attachment.
Words spring easily from my mouth as if they were always there
to fall out like pearls of wisdom
but would I be the same level headed philosopher
if the dead mangled body of the child on the track was mine?!
Aandava!
* Aandavan means ‘God’ in Tamil. The van carrying the children had the name Aandavan Matriculation Higher Secondary School written on it in large bold letters.
