The Rushing Rapids:

By Snehasree Senthilkumar

The water crashes with ability downstream, a cacophony of sounds rising powerfully at its surface. Its brute force lashes out on dormant stone like the unforgiving cracking of a whip on skin. The ones with enough courage to brave the river’s wrath stand tall, in all their vain pride. Others of lesser size, bodies with limitations, struggle to hold their ground against the speeding currents, thereby letting go and letting the water carry them to their destinies.

The ones that remain rooted must face a slow death at the tearing fingers of the water. Each gush of the river claws at the roughness of the rock, but slips and fails to sway the rocks’ sovereign power over its land. Nevertheless, the water breaks the rock at its seams silently, carrying sediments of body away.

The water’s true damage occurs under the surface, away from our sight. The noise, meant to threaten and intimidate, is a clever red herring. Distracting nature from its true method of attack:. that of patience and resilience.

By Snehasree Senthilkumar