Velayudhan’s Requiem – Memories in the Mailbag, Echoes of Devastation, Whispers of Hope…

In Mundakkai’s ravaged expanse,
a lone figure emerges,
worn and gray.
Velayudhan, the village postman,
trudges on,
scanning the desolate landscape,
searching for what’s gone…

Two decades of memories,
of countenances and narratives,
echoes of laughter and tears,
now silenced.
Mundakkai village,
nestled at serene east of Kerala,
in the lap of Wayanad district,
experienced it all,
lying in ruins,
It’s spirit crushed,
It’s heart ceased.
The landslide has ravaged the village,
leaving only vestiges,
of a life once lived,
now reduced to nothingness…

Velayudhan’s own domicile,
swept away by the fury of the earth,
leaving him with nothing,
but the weight of his responsibility.
The mailbag slung over his shoulder,
filled with undelivered epistles,
a constant reminder,
of what’s been lost,
of what can never be regained…

He walks,
lost in rumination,
the silence deafening,
The addresses,
once familiar,
now nothing but memories.
The recipients,
gone,
leaving only emptiness,
The weight of his purpose,
uncertain,
like the future…

Rescue workers,
establishing a makeshift encampment,
offering sustenance and shelter,
but Velayudhan’s mind does stray,
he inquires about rebuilding,
about the possibility of renewal.
But the workers shake their heads,
the village is gone,
and with it,
his livelihood.

Time heals everything,
they say,
but the pain lingers,
like kindling logs.
The community slowly rebuilds,
a new encampment emerges,
temporary abode,
basic amenities,
Velayudhan assists,
but his heart remains,
with the mailbag,
a symbol of what’s been lost,
of what he’s trying to hail…

His superior visits,
listens to his narrative,
nods sympathetically,
offers words of hope.
Velayudhan’s eyes well up with tears,
maybe, just maybe,
There’s a glimmer of hope,
a way to reconnect,
to rebuild…

He’ll find a way,
to deliver those epistles,
to reconnect with the people,
scattered, lost, and fettered,
He’ll hold on to the memories,
of Mundakkai,
even as he embraces,
the uncertainty of the future,
and let hope forever last…

Life slowly regains its pace,
the village might never be the same,
but its spirit will endure,
and Velayudhan,
the postman,
will witness it.
One letter at a time,
a testament to what’s been lost,
a beacon of hope,
in devastation’s darkest cost…