Wake up

Wake up

The earth was never mine.
But I seized it
With all my might
Was it not wrong?
 
I snatched the right
To live in this planet
Treated the earth as my own
Knowing well it belonged to many more.
 
I plundered the forests
Till a few trees remained
Most fauna retreated into the dense
And what remained domesticated.
 
I harnessed animals
Placed yokes of slavery on bullocks
Bridles on horses
Goads, whips and spurs to nudge.
 
And then it tumbled over,
The sea breached the shore
The rivers in spate flooded the villages
The floating corpses told all the tales.
 
I finally rued and vowed to change
The life I led,
Shedding all my ego to help
Restore the world to where it belonged.
 
Wake up and coexist
Put aside the role of a master
Care for all that live on earth
Flora fauna and everything created.

The boy's treasure

 

The boy's treasure

A boy brought home
Three rabbits and a peacock
All made from shells
Glued together by deft hands
 
His first school picnic
And first visit to a sea shore
Walking through the sandy path
The sound of waves loud and clear.
 
Kiosks lined on either side
Curios all made from shells.
Shapes and shades unimaginable
Crafted by street artisans
 
The sea just yards away
Setting sun soon to disappear
Silver sand a golden hue,
Slowly darkened by the dimming rays
 
The waves roar and break away
Hit the shores and meekly return
To leave behind discarded shells
Once home to snails and clams.
 
The shells lay scattered on the beach
Each crafted by nature’s hand
With colour and perfection
No skill could match.
 
Floating in the receding waves
Some shells to the sea return
And some lie in the sand
Embedded and never to return.
 
Three decades later
The boy’s treasure
Showcased in his living room
Made him walk down the memory lane.