Fall arrives in silence and there were no storms from the North East, to proclaim its bustling arrival, this year. The red berries announced the change in the seasons, by blooming in the green bushes annually. We are tied to our homes, on account of the Pandemic; and spend our time, on social media. The TV has become too political, as if no new babies are being born, or weddings being held. To differentiate themselves, our candidates are instead, distancing us from each other.

Divide and rule, oh how people has suffered, under its yoke; over the centuries, of human history. Race, religion, caste, color, sex can each be used, to divide us, from each other. ‘Oh a woman can’t do that’ is not something a civilized society proclaims for most civic duties, as humanity is equal. In some places of course we have matriarchal families, or in others the Mother is a Goddess. Civilizations have truly prospered in Egypt, Greece, Rome when the people were united. Prosperous and ordered cities and empires lasted for millennia. In India we have centuries of foreign rule, and now again, a free nation rises.

China has been the great success story of the past few decades. They have educated, housed, and fed a billion people successfully, and continue to grow into an urban society. Great strides have been made by the politburo in engineering marvel’s build outs, of infrastructure in high speed rails and highways. Top class new cities have sprung up, and the facilities available, in their national institutions have become world class. China has some of the best Universities, largest banks, and manufacturing capabilities.  Under Xi, the dragon is on the rise everywhere, as its belt and road initiative flounders, but is not lost. Great influence comes with major projects for the Chinese companies, who are often the best in their class now.

Coming back to the crack in the cliff face, as I take my evening walk. The red berries caught my eye first, and then I followed them to the deep crack, that ran up the cliff face. Nature is so strange in so many myriad ways. The green is so deep of the evergreens, and the red is so bright of the berries, against the brown cliff face. Autumn creeps in, and the season of our winter, will arrive soon as the leaves change. Then the icy winds will blow, and the pandemic will claim, more victims, as humanity seeks shelter indoors. The virus will spread, like the the crack in the cliff face, and death will be amongst us.