The Volcano Poem by Ruta Mohapatra

I am peace
I am violence

When I sleep, the sleep of a baby
You can look at my core
My soul lies there
Buried in my mother's womb

When I sleep, the coolest of sleeps
I let plants grow, green and vibrant
I let fishes swim in my water
The most spectacular and colorful fishes

When I sleep, I let colonies grow
Colonies of the most adventurous people
Colonies of the most hardy, beautiful species
Life blooms on my fertile back

But, I have to wake up sometimes, you know
I shake up my body and rise
To meet the ocean and the sky
I roar to my heart's content

And then you can only watch
Watch me destroy my own creation
Destroy my old body to rejuvenate
To build anew, to create a new land