In The Aftermath of An Earthquake
The earthquake benefit event successfully raised funds for those in Nepal who are struggling to rebuild their lives and communities, but in the sharing of Jigme’s poem, it also created an intimate and authentic connection between people of different cultures, through the voice and words of one individual who was simply sharing his story of survival and hope.
Life After
By Jigme NB Lama
(Edited by Mary Angeles Armstrong)
Life, as usual, is shaken to its core.
Faced with destruction,
The foundation we rely on is shaken
until there is no firm shelter and no safe place.
The elemental world crumbles.
Creation folds back into itself
and everything once made, falls apart
revealing the unmade origin of everything: hope.
Lifelong effort for these possessions.
Things, we thought we owned, taken,
leaving Non attachment as our finest possession.
Now, bare earth is a fine bed
and open sky is a solid roof.
When ambitions are finally put to rest,
one sleeps and dreams with joy.
Darkness blankets the scene.
All forms of light have ceased working.
Only a hundred fireflies visit
their illuminated selves bringing light and joy.
After a night of heavy rain and thunder, morning:
Cuckoos sing, Bulbuls chirp and doves groan.
When you sleep with dogs, you rise with birds
and my mind is as clear as morning dew.
People slowly revive,
Vehicles start moving,
Phone calls and emails start to flow
I too wake in this new found home.
Owning and gathering starts over again.
Life, in Kathmandu, starts over again
Until an aftershock scares us into silence.
