Page 16 - Seniors Today -April20
P. 16
Focus | Covid - 19
On
the edge of
nowhere
Something tiny and invisible has
brought haughty humankind to its
knees, writes Archana Mariwala
Earth has suddenly come to a grinding halt, in the deserts, to unprecedented floods
mid-spin. Thrown off its revolving axis by and earthquakes, to flattening hurricanes
something so infinitesimal, it cannot be to obliterating tsunamis that annihilate
seen. But it can be felt. And how!!! This, everything in their paths as the oceans rush
our gigantic planet, brought to its knees in to reclaim what was once theirs. She has
by something more than a trillion times thundered her anger at mankind through
smaller, and invisible. massive glacial meltdowns, demonstrated
Let me correct myself. It is not Planet Earth her fury thru lava spewing volcanoes.
that has been brought to its knees. It is And what has been the impact of all above
mankind. And rightly so. Our two-legged on man?
race, in its self-destructive hurtle to outdo None whatsoever. We continue our
itself, has lost all rationale and perspective. unstoppable frenzy, our mindless
Our unquenchable greed for bigger, destruction of all the bounty this gracious
better, more and yet more has blinded us planet has blessed us with.
completely to what we already possess - the So now, here we are, teetering on the edge of
abundant wealth that Nature has bestowed nowhere –
on us. We have ravaged and raped our Nowhere to run.
forests, our oceans. We joyously kill other Nowhere to hide.
living beings - small, humble, huge or Imprisoned in our own homes.
magnificent, either directly or by destroying Enslaved by our overpowering greed.
their natural habitat. Brought to our knees by our desire to reach
For the last two decades, slowly but surely, the stars.
Mother Nature has been trying to warn And so, today --”Of the people, for the
mankind. She has turned up her thermostat people, by the people “, holds a whole new
to sizzling, unbearable heat - turned it down meaning.
to numbing freeze. Caused hailstorms As Ordained by Mother Earth.
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