Let's unplug for a while
From the havoc wrought by an infinitesimal virus
As constant cacophony drops dead
And sound of death becomes deafening
Let's disconnect to connect again
With the non-stop humdrum of life

Let's unplug for a while
Not because we are flailing and falling
As we stagger to gain control
But continue to succumb in rising numbers
Trying hard to hang on to hope
Though every eye mirrors, delusion and despair

Let's unplug for a while
To swarm the roads, crowd the metros, flock the markets, visit the shrines
Rubbing shoulder against shoulder
Holding hand in hands, just like old times
Shouting, giggling, chattering, cursing
To once again drown in that cheerful din

Let's unplug for a while
To run wild like little kids
Splashing in pool, dancing in rain
Summer barbeques, winter bonfires
To tinkle the glasses & laugh with friends once again

Let's unplug
For our kids to once again race on sand & build castles
Swoosh down a cliff, breezing their bicycles
Play hopscotch & cricket in open grounds
To once again have soda, shakes & cookies passing around
Kids over for playdates & staycation, home filled with happy sounds

Let’s unplug
To once again embrace spirit of Eid ul Fitr & Diwali
Drench in cheek by jowl Holi camaraderie
Pray for our brothers' longevity, as we tie Rakhee
Sing carols, make merry, gathered around the Christmas tree
To finally propose this valentine, going down on the knees

Now when closeness can kill and distance can save
But isolation without solidarity is sterile
When everything seems liquid and liable to melt
And hard truths and durable wisdom, we seek

Let's all UNPLUG
To once again INTIMATELY be part of CROWDS
and rejoice amidst beaucoup de bruit

-shell

India’s normally bustling streets have become quiet
Door to door deliveries have come to a stand still
The mask & gloves clad crowds have vacated the alleys
Even the country's unrelenting construction has come to a halt
Time stands stretched
Almost like a God sent opportunity to reset our lives
To distance ourselves both literally & figuratively
From all the chaos, the stress, the apprehensions, the anxieties
The constant fear of what's going to happen next
Let's unplug for a little while
And connect with ourselves

-shell
27.03.2020

Co-vid 19 is the worst news of 2020 - all doom and gloom right from when it first waged it's war from Wuhan.
Stealthily, silently, steadily - like a sadistic pathogen, it's aiming for the most vulnerable amongst us, drafting the healthy to be its accomplice and co-conspirator, wreaking havoc on masses, instilling widespread fear, madly striking it's fangs into anyone and everyone coming in it's way.
Those who don't wash their hands clean, are equal culprits, corona's partner in crime!

CORONA is inflicting enormous human suffering, savaging the global economy, and ripping apart the very fabric of daily life.
It took a thing as minuscule as a virus to remind us, how petty we really are!

And the paradox is, everything that 2020 facilitates - technology, connectivity, global business, shrinking planet - are the very reasons, responsible for the far-flung reach of Corona, turning it into Global Pandemic!
To halt the spread of virus, slow the rate of transmission, lower the steep incline of infection - humans are being QUARANTINED.
Imprisoned in our own homes and rightly so, for brutally ravaging the very PLANET we live on, our HOME for million of years, the CORE of our very existence.
A GLOBAL LOCKDOWN IT IS.
Has life come to a full circle? Is there any redemption ?
We know not. We can only ATONE.
And try to keep ourselves on an even emotional keel.
Mother Nature has hit the PAUSE button.
And has left it upon US to 'RESET' our LIVES.

Suddenly, the world is re-learning the power of slowing down.

In the midst of Global Pandemic, people are learning to cultivate slow pleasures.
Social isolation is teaching us "The Joy of Solitude."

shell
25.03.2020