The Darkness At Noon - Revised

First Version   -    (Posted 5/11/14)

Towards the end of late morning,
As noon was approaching,
And people went about their usual chores
A mighty rush of water
Swept them right off their feet.

No one knew what was happening,
Innocent children drowned
Into the deep depths of the water..
Waves crashed furiously -
The happiness and joys of the morning
Were now plunged into darkness.

There were enormous cloud bursts -
The cause of devastating floods,
Natural landslides,
Gradually spreading like wildfire
To other peaceful areas.

A great statue that once stood tall,
Was submerged up to the neck,
Some survivors clung to it for support,
Trying to locate their lost families,
Others looking for logs of woods
For getting themselves to safety -
The happiness and joys of the morning,
Were now plunged into darkness.

Several villages were sunk,
Others were lost forever,
Thousands of creatures died,
Buildings collapsed - Crashing over vehicles..
Which were to be destroyed by the mighty, strong currents.

The reason for this disaster
Which started off at noon,
Is still unclear to us –
Was Mother Nature upset 
Because we disrespect her?
Was She shedding tears
To teach humans a lesson?


Second Version   -   (All suggestions used)


 Towards the end of late morning,
As noon was approaching,
And people went about their usual chores
A mighty rush of water
Swept them off their feet.

No one knew what was happening,
Frightened children drowned
Into the depths of the water..
Waves crashed furiously -
The happiness and joys of the morning
Now plunged into darkness.

There were enormous cloud bursts -
The cause of devastating floods,
Natural landslides,
Gradually spreading like wildfire
To other peaceful areas.

Few stood rooted in their places,
Too stunned to move,
Staring into the deep, wide crack on the split ground..
The happiness and joys of the morning
Now plunged into darkness.

Monstrous waves trashed about,
Mercilessly swallowing every helpless body 
That dared to stay in their paths..
Every face in the area was panic-stricken,
Not knowing what their fate was -
Whether they would survive...
Or not.

A great statue that once stood tall,
Was submerged up to the neck,
Some survivors clung to it for support,
Trying to locate their lost families,
Others looking for logs of wood
For getting themselves to safety -
The happiness and joys of the morning
Now plunged into darkness.

Fatal waters uprooted trees with such ease..
Taking them along dangerous paths...
 To destruction....


The reason for this disaster
Which started off at noon,
Still remains concealed to us,
I hope to know it soon -

Did Mother nature feel upset,
Because of human’s disrespect?
And is that why she took the lives
Of those we now hope to resurrect?


Note: This is about the flood/disaster that occurred in the Northern part of India in 2013.

Thanks to Tim Smith for recommending that I use this poem for the workshop!

All suggestions given used
Originally posted 5/11/14

Copyright © | Year Posted 2015



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Date: 6/9/2015 11:53:00 PM
Sneha, :) congrats on your workshop poem
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Date: 5/14/2015 4:27:00 PM
Sneha, I see you took my advice to not bold face the poem, to me drama is not projected by bold type but by words and the phrasing of words, I liked it before and still do, well done and thanks for visiting my poem, I am Vicaria
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Constance La France
Date: 5/15/2015 7:54:00 AM
You are welcome and thanks for visiting my poem today
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/15/2015 3:27:00 AM
Thank you so much!! So glad you liked it!! :D :D
Date: 5/13/2015 7:35:00 AM
Sneka, I like your poem but you ask what I think and my question to you is why you chose to present this poem in bold, to me it would present better without the bold perhaps Italic and thanks for visiting my poem, I am . . .
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/13/2015 9:09:00 AM
Hello! I thought bold would suit the poem since it is a serious one.. :) :)
Date: 5/11/2015 7:52:00 PM
lines 6 & 7 children are innocent so no need to say innocent children &/or perhaps most who drowned were innocent and not just the children? & deep depth - deep implies depth, depth implies it is deep so only 1 is needed Light & Love
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:36:00 PM
Oh, sure! I will change that!! I wanted to say the water was REALLY deep.. Hehe!! :D Thanks a lot!! :D :D
Date: 5/11/2015 4:33:00 PM
Sneha I really loved this poem. Line 5 you can consider removing "right" it is not needed...keep up the good work Tim
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/15/2015 7:23:00 AM
Finished!! (Yesterday!) :D :D THANK YOU!!
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:37:00 PM
Thank you so much! I will do it! :D :D
Date: 5/11/2015 2:05:00 PM
Senha, I recently wrote (and submitted to a journal) a poem on catastrophe in my country. A horrific train derailment in Quebec. 72 car-fulls of crude oil ignited and 47 people died instantly. I kept the emotional content at bay by making the train a cold, apathetic creature. It hit the town hard, without a heart, without a soul. You could use this technique, personification, in your poem, if you wish. The wave is a monster, perhaps born of our disrespect, our treatment of the planet.
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/13/2015 2:00:00 AM
Hello, dear Cyndi! I've used the suggestions.. I have yours and Nandita's to complete! Does the last part read better now? :D
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:43:00 PM
THAT'S HORRIBLE!! There was something called the Bhopal Gas tragedy here, long, long back.. It happened because of the xarelessness of the workers... :( :( ... Thank you so much for yoyr advice! I love your idea!! I will use it!! :D :D
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Cyndi Macmillan
Date: 5/11/2015 2:07:00 PM
Your instinct to keep the emotions less is good. By letting the reader fill in the emotion, the emotions become bigger. To do this, you simply intensify the coldness, the indifference of the water.. the water has no heart, it doesn't care, it is like liquid stone... just an idea! The poem works as is. Keep writing! Keep GROWING as a poet! :)
Date: 5/11/2015 1:59:00 PM
Thanks for bringing this tragedy to the forefront, Sneha.It makes me want to put up another anthology of poems about tragedies and how a poets words can capture the horrible with beautiful words. You COULD teach many a thing or two about what poetry can do, can be. Now, for the purposes of this workshop, all things can be improved. (Good for you at this young age for knowing that! AWESOME!) Line 11, You could drop were now, So it reads, " the joys of the morning/plunged into darkness"
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:56:00 PM
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! There was so much on the news about this...The relief lasted for many many weeks... I will change what you said too!! Thanks a lot!! :D :D
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Cyndi Macmillan
Date: 5/11/2015 2:00:00 PM
With your energy, language and fearless want of learning, I think you will go far far far with your poetry.
Date: 5/11/2015 1:06:00 PM
It sounds just fine to me as it is...
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:58:00 PM
Oh! Thank you! ... Please tell me if you think anything can be changed!! :D :D
Date: 5/11/2015 9:26:00 AM
I like your poem as you wrote it 7 and thanks for visiting my poem 9ne
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/11/2015 10:15:00 AM
Thank you!! Please do telk me if you think anything can be improvised! :D
Date: 5/10/2015 2:33:00 PM
Well written but my suggestion for improving on this is: emotions are not portrayed in this poem. The scene of action is described very well in great detail but this poem lacks emotions like the anguish, pain, the utter look of desolation and devastation. These can be incorporated. Of course in a tragedy of this magnitude it is understood. This then is my humble suggestion. To portray emotions. Thank you.
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Sneha Rv
Date: 5/10/2015 9:03:00 PM
Thank you so much, dear Nandita! I realized only now.. I will add what you said! Thanks again! :D :D
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Nandita Das
Date: 5/10/2015 3:52:00 PM
Hey on second thoughts this is a perfectly fine write. You write really well. You won many contests here. The quality of your writing is evident in the fact that very recently you were the top place winner in humorous poetry contest. I enjoyed reading your work and this poem is perfect as it is. Perfection cannot be improved upon. Thanks
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