A Christmas Bouquet

Come December, it is Christmas, the season of good cheer and warm feelings. Days of sun shine and the nights, oh so chilly! The last month of the year, full of celebration, poised to welcome the new year and new beginnings. But for some it is, just another month, the end of a trying year, with only troubles ahead .

Like never before was the monsoon this year! The sky always overcast, a bleak grey, bursting into storms and the earth shuddering in the deluge. The sun playing truant, rarely seen, hiding his face from the devastation. There was no reprieve for man or beast, as the rains lashed continually.

Floods and landslides, in the news everyday, homes washed away and watery graves for many. With the trees tossing and toppling, little birds found no place to rest. Their tweets turning to squawks of fear, each time they fall from their nests. The creeping crawlers, their shelters lost, are exposed and bewildered, as they wander, amongst human beings.

The plant life, that ordinarily thrive in rainfall, are inundated, submerged under water. With no sunshine, no relief, the overspill is destroying our crops. Fruits and salads a rarity, as we face scarcity and soaring prices. Why even the inexpensive tomato, whether fruit or vegetable, debatable, much like the current gender crisis, crossed the hundred rupee mark. And, with no timely harvest of coffee berries, the daily brew, may soon leave our shelves.

The houses, our refuge, stand creaking, under the onslaught of the constant downpour. Even the strong have yielded, sprung leaks. Their once shiny paint blistered, and with mould everywhere, they wear a woebegone face. The doors and windows, warped and distorted, are none too easy to latch and the damaged plumbing and power lines are, at best, sketchy .

Global warming and climate change, they say. An apocalyptic sword, hanging over our heads, waiting to drop if not controlled. For some, an imminent threat of extinction, the end of the world and humanity. While for others, an inconvenience, a threat to compromise their lifestyle.

Then it is December, it is Christmas! The earth shrugged, shed her gloom, welcoming the errant sun, now shining bright. The rot began to fade, the green is here to stay, fresh grass beneath our feet. Bringing hope anew and heralding a prosperous new year.

In my little garden, the flowers are in bloom, again. A Christmas bouquet, the light and scent of good tidings from Heaven . The deep colours of love, the vibrant colours of joy, the gentle colours of peace, of goodwill, and the warm colours of hope. A Christmas bouquet indeed, red, gold and green, with its promise of blessings to come. And I know I can believe in a better tomorrow, for you and for me .