Story of the Fallen Leaf

from dust to dust I return
rising like the phoenix
in spring
to paint the world
a verdant green

Koko Head Trail, Oahu, Hawaii : Tuesday Photo Challenge – “Steep”

This week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge prompt from Frank  is  “Steep”.

 

This photo could have been one of my last if not for my wife grabbing onto my shirt with all her strength as I slipped, about 100 feet from the top of the trail head, on our return from the top.  She was my life saver on that day.  Had only a few bruises to show for the fall with no broken bones.

Thursday Tidbits: Indiscretion and Grief

I am vacationing with my family and this post definitely was not in my planning.

We visited Horseshoe Bend in Page. Arizona on XMas day afternoon. It was a joyous occasion for us as we had planned it for a long time. Little did we know that at a time we were having fun, a family was grieving for their loved one who lost her life at that very spot twenty four hours ago.

We arrived Bryce Canyon at about 8:30PM yesterday to biting cold and immediately went out for dinner before the restaurants closed. On return to our hotel and opening internet, very first news that we got in whatsapp from my brother-in-law shook us to the core. We scoured the internet to know what happened. All the news channels had reported that on Christmas eve afternoon a girl from San Jose, CA (my hometown) fell to her death at Horseshoe Bend. Parents reported her missing after looking for her for couple of hours. A helicopter search located her body seven hundred feet below the lookout point but it was too late in the evening to recover the body. The body was recovered on Christmas day AT ten in the morning.

My mind immediately focussed on the tension my wife was going through when we were having fun at Horseshoe Bend. It was a gorgeous evening, cool but not cold with the sun low on the horizon. She, like any good mother, was trying to keep us all away from going too near the rim as we were busy clicking away trying to preserve the moment in our cameras and cell phones. All around us, young and old alike were busy taking selfies. A barrier was erected near the rim of the look out point but many adventurous souls were scattered all over happily oblivious that a tragedy had occurred there may be less than twenty four hours ago. It may have hurt the business if people would have known. One can only speculate.

As we were about to return to the shuttle stop my wife panicked as we could not locate our daughter. For about ten minutes or so, she basically went bonkers looking for her. Happily we found her well inside the barrier taking photos. I can only imagine what was going through the minds of the parents of the missing girl the previous evening.

While the cause of the fall is not known yet and speculation is futile, our memory of Horseshoe Bend will foreever be associated with this tragedy. Pray that the grieving parents find strength to bear with this great loss.

As for me I can only say that please be careful. Don’t let a moment’s indiscretion be the cause of lifelong grief.

Fall is in the air

What was vibrant and verdant few days back

Today litters the ground, fallen leaves dry

Crunched under feet of those walking by

Is this nature’s way of warning us

Enjoy the ride while you can

In pride lies the seed of destruction

What goes up must come down

Fall from grace, humbled and resurrection

A mere spectator, I try to enjoy as life goes by

Fall is in the air

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Featured image photo by the author 11-8-2018

End of Summer

There is a party going on

Just few houses down

Sound of merriment and laughter

I can hear from where I am

I was to be a part of it

To bid adieu to summer

And invite fall

I am happy to hear

People are having fun

Should have been happy to be

Part of the group

Somewhere down there

Like the muggy weather

Something is sitting heavy

On my heart

Season changes, we do too

Somewhere happiness abound

Somewhere sorrow overflows

Party will end soon

And people will go home

Those who have lost all

Will they ever go home

Life

Time and again I fall
See no way up
Deep dark abyss
Cruel fingers of self pity
Drags me down
Herculean efforts to overcome
Tendency to curl up
In a fetal position
And let it go
Somewhere in my heart
A light still flickers
Fight is not over
Life is for the long haul
In love will find resurrection
Forward march is the only way out
Eternity beckons