16/11/2024
๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ | ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด
The boat is sinking. Group yourselves into ...
We are sinking!
Drowning.
Fighting.
It is the look in people's eyes: the misery, loss, grief, relief, gratitudeโa whirlwind of emotions. It is the water that wakes up our souls. The roaring water is slowly devouring the earthโs tapestry, as though it were throttling us to life. The four walls that were once our sanctuary have lost their light. The river's fury has stripped the people of their means of survival. It is the riverโs fury, the untamed cruelty, the water that barks with deafening roars, the currents that whirl and surge everything in their path: the trees, debris, fragments of lives, sprinkled along the way, each carrying tales of dreams and photographs, natureโs sense of power drenching the landscape.
As we walk through the cold, murky water, shivers run to the bone. Dreams and fairy tales float in the riverโs fury, carrying hope and resilienceโthe story of what was once an uprooted tree dancing until it fell, the mixtape that used to play but is now soaked, the album that stored memories now reduced to a tale, the bed you used to tangle yourself in, now ready to be disposed of, the books that carried tales and voices, now soaked in despair, the scattered letters that were never sent, now drenched, letting the wind whisper their stories, the abandoned shoes that witnessed their owner's journey, the very first chair your father built, now wrecked and broken, the secret place you used to go when your days grew hazy, now wrapped in leaflets and mud. You are like a broken clock, staring, forever frozen in time, reverberating the lives abruptly halted.
Along the road, thereโs a song that plays. When the storm breaks, the sky wakes. It is a new beginning, a new chapter, a new hope, a new day, and a new reason to live. In the quiet of the aftermath, there is a light that illuminates the path. The flood made its presence felt and left ripples of resilience. Strangers become neighbors, offering hands and hope. Relief goods are like beacons of hope, mending what is broken. Individuals stand together, hand in hand, ready to face the sight. Though mud and dirt are thick and dense, they fade against the valor that the people sense. People wade into floodwaters, delivering the goodness of their hearts. Bravery and solidarity are nonpareil, bridging the way to a new tomorrow.
Thereโs a light in the heart, painting new art. The rebirth of barren land lets the trees bloom grandly; hear the birds sing to life once again, serene. The earthโs tapestry is regaining its soul; the sun bursts in colors and ignites across the horizon. The children share their loudest laughter; their voices echo a symphony of resilience and tenacity. The wheels are ready to roll on the road to wonder, embracing a new journeyโnot sinking but rising, not drowning but soaring.
Fighting and thriving.
The light in the peopleโs eyes signals a new way, turning into a brand-new day.
WORDS | Shawn De Guzman
CARTOON | Marc Jefferson Sales
