When I see mangroves, I think of family-
Parent roots that hold the soil together-
Standing in the way of any flood that comes out way-
Our source of oxygen, a breathe of relief just a text away
But hidden sometimes, by expectations, grievances, and time-
But what’s a tree without it’s strong bark
And that’s the elder siblings,
Protective yet somehow nurturing
The cardiac system of wisdom,
So that us young leaves can bloom-
Into canapoies,
And then there’s the youngest, the freshest,
Who reminds us all what’s it’s like to live-
Feel the sun, laugh,
Struggle too-
But never forget we have but one chance
To make a mark and to make memories,
Mangroves are family,
That stand tall as the smallest until of society,
Some find this love, stumble across it later in life
Some are born by the strong branches, that keep growing with every generation, despite strife
And some are a mixture-
For just like forest trees, each person is an adventure- an ecosystem of their own
Coming together to protect others
Against fearsome floods and odds-
So when we cut down a tree without thought, without need
When alternatives are a dime a dozen,
We are cutting down our bonds too-
Which as shown by our own mythology and cultural history-
Might be a feature of families build with dysfunctionality,
But always ends in familial catastrophe.
Author’s Note: Hope this gave you food for thought! To read more of my work, please head to our store or Muses_Saga, where you can read my latest anthology Prithvi for free. The work has short stories by some of the best sci-fi writers from India! You can grab a copy of Pirthvi on Brown Living India.