Dr Parichart Sthapitanonda,
a lecturer at the Chulalongkorn  University’s
Faculty of Communication Arts, lost all four of her immediate
family members – her father, mother and two sisters
– to the tsunami tragedy two years ago. She contributed
this poem for The Nation’s website in their memory.
Death is all around!
An important message I have learned from tsunami 2004
is that “Death is all around!”
Do you believe in what I say? 1. The picture of the
dead bodies of tsunami 2004 always came to my mind.
Like the popup messages that always show up while using
the  Internet.
I saw thousands of dead bodies in my mind.
By the beaches, On the streets, At the ruins,
And in the ground of local temples in Khao Lak, Thailand.
No matter how sad I feel, it always reminds me that
“Death is all around!”
2. All of my family members are among these dead bodies.
They were suddenly passed away during the tsunami 2004.
My beloved Dad and Mom, And my only two sisters.
I try to make my broken heart become functional.
I pray to myself every minute I think of them that
“Death is all around!”
And, of course, I definitely have to die one day.
3. How can I make myself stronger after the loss of
my beloved family?
Even now, I always repeat the same question to myself.
I don’t really know exactly how to make it.
But during the time I struggle to survive, I become
to realise that
All of the people I know in my life face the same trauma.
It is the trauma of losing their beloved one.
And so do I.
How about you?
Have you experienced the stages of losing your beloved
one?
Do you believe in what I say that
“Death is all around!”
4. What should I do when I believe that “Death
is all around”?
Should I ignore anything that I am currently doing,
While waiting to face the last day of my life?
I’m sure that my family members were very sad,
If they realised that their sudden death made me become
a dying person, While I’m still breathing in and
out.
But if I can strongly survive from the tragic moments
I faced,
I’m sure that my family members will be very proud
of me.
5. I believe the tragic message I have learned from
tsunami 2004 is that
“Death is all around!” has a connotative
meaning.
It is a meaning that Our current life is so short.
Do you agree with me?
If yes, what should we do next?
Should we join hand in hand to cocreate the imagined
monument?
The monument that reminds all of us that
We should make the rest of our life valuable,
To our beloved one,
To our beloved community,
To our beloved nation,
And to our beloved world.
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