THE BETRAYAL

-Arpita Upadhyay

I stand upon the earth,

Gazing at me with disdain,

Once youthful and vibrant,

Now burdened with pain.

A mother without offspring,

Mourning her loss each day,

The soil, a constant reminder,

Of the tragedies that won't go away.

For years she thrived,

Alive, spirited, and green,

Teaching us love so pure,

Unaware of toxins unseen.

Her roots now dead within her,

Poisoned by the hands she'd fed,

Men nurtured by her care,

Now betray her instead.

Once she drowned,

Now she suffers in drought,

Her trust in seasons shattered,

In her desolation, she's left tattered.

Her tears once caused flooding,

Now her wells have all but dried,

The scars on her surface showing,

The damage we cannot hide.