Living On The Edge

Mesmerized by the beauty of the dawn;

I stood watching, from high above into the lawn.

It descended like a tiny parachute, 
settling on the head of my neighbour's Shih Tzu;

like an olive wreath on its tiny skull,

the deadly green plastic bag, befell.

Running hither and thither in fear, the poor creature,

entangled it's head into the pouch.

Timely help, not withstanding,

it became a lesson, to be mentioned in passing.

Once from an errand as I returned,

saw a scrawny bovine; 

a blue plastic bag  she munched,

right in the middle of the street,

grabbing an early afternoon treat.

Everywhere you see, blue, green, black and white;

Plastic comes in all shapes and colours bright.

Bottles and shopping bags, all for the consumers ease,

Leaves behind footprints of carbon, impossible to delete.

High in the mountains, left by insensitive trekkers,

you'll find mounds of plastic, a complete nature wrecker.

It's found its way, deep into the sea;

dead whales, with more than a score of plastic bags in their belly. 

Alike to the monster created by Frankenstein;

Recreated by blissful ignorance, once again.

Will not degrade, as all things must and will,

but, stay afresh for a million years, still.

Try destroying it, by fire, will emit toxic fumes in ire.

These will prove to harmful be, for the depleting ozone layer.

To eliminate completely, might not be a possibility,

But, minimize its use, would be an act of great sagacity.

It would prove a boon for future generations,

One small attempt at moderation.

Tender we must, this apology

In the interests of our ecology.

PURPLE

On her father's shoulder, safely perched;

oblivious to the dangers that lurked,

she sat contentedly with a smile,

the darling of her mother's eyes.

Prancing around the house like a lively fawn;

wins every dare set for her, as her parents look on.

She is the sunlight, that lights up the world,

also the firelight that warms the hearth.

The nurturer of life and hope is she;

looked upon as the embodiment of nobility.
Every battle she wins with elan;

but looses the one, that cruel and mindless men inflict upon.

The pride of her father, the delight of her mother;

is reduced to a rag doll, abused and tortured.

Tearing apart her body and soul into smithereens;

the perpetrators escape unchecked, by wicked means.

Aruna, Nirbhaya, Asifa, and the girl from Unnao;

Have exposed, the brutality of the beasts.

Be it adulthood, youth or infancy, 

she lives forever, a victim of depravity.

Beware the World! with every spirit we break, 

into a void of ignominy, we thrust ourselves.

A shame which neither power nor wealth can wipe, 

but will taint history with Purple bright.

Unless the protection of women, will of concern be;

hurtle back thousands of years into evolution, will we.

To live a life, on all fours, we would condemned be;

Accursed by beastly reality.

Reflections

School 
Every morn, the unkind sun;
would wake us up, and send us on a run.
The bags on our back, weighed us down,
doomed to school, we trudged along.

Friends made us forget, the miseries of our life;
the unfinished homework and the projects to compile.
The eager opening of the lunch boxes,
and a clamour to share; all of us, had something to spare. 

And in the after lunch hour, as we chose to doze;
the teacher singled us out, for a question to  pose. 
With a multitude of eyes staring at every lost face;
we wished, to instantly disappear into space.

At last, when the much awaited closing bell sounded;
after being for hours hounded,
we would from the classes flee,
unabashed with childish glee.

Life was so simple, it's hard to believe;
no worldly woes, no targets to achieve.
We fail to value the moments, until we chance to loose,
is rightly said, of our days at school. 

Wind

Blowing tenderly upon my face,

like sweet kisses from an innocent babe. 

Much alike a naughty lad you blow, tongue in cheek;
making my hair and skirt go astray, in mischief. 

Sand and dust into my eyes, you send forth;

akin to a sullen juvenile, who has lost his mirth. 

From the womb of the sea, sometimes you rise;
possessed Poseidon, all out to wreck chaos. 

To thee, we owe our very breath;

blessed with which, is our beloved earth. 

Ganges 
Rippling along the hills you flow, like a songstress on an encore;
meandering through the forest plains, you remind me of a virgin bride's, satin train.

The pebbles in your shallows gleam,
like a jeweled veil, over the brow of a queen. 

The hunter and the hunted throng to you, to quench their thirst;
like nursing infants to their mother's bosom.

Longing lovers gaze, lost in your misty maze.
O' eternal witness to birth, love and demise; you smilingly, comply.

Accepting the holy oblations, and the filth thrown at you, with equal grace;
choked by human sins, you make your way to meet your fate. 

Wavering like, in drunken stupor; eager to end your soiled life,

and perpetually escape into the oceans from this perpetrated vice.