Of Man Vs Nature - Dear Squirrel, a confession

If you are a frequent traveller on Indian highways, you are bound to have noticed carcasses, small and large, of birds and stray beings, that have gone under many a wheel. If only we were not always in a hurry, we could train ourselves to 'live and let live'.
This is in memory of a friendly neighbourhood squirrel...read on.

I saw and watched you everyday
In the balcony, the trees and the lawn
Scampering with your family and friends
Seemingly care-free and happy

Someone wanted more light
So they cleared away the foliage
Your home in distant trees was saved
But I lost your winged friends

Forever, it seemed then
Before new green life sprang out
Irrepressibly kindled a spark
in the eyes again

Then I woke to renewed chirps
could watch you, and flying colours
Till one day as I rode out
You, usually quick, scampered the wrong way

Were you in a great hurry? My reflexes
were not enough - the wheel rolled
over your sweet nose, but that was enough.
I feel for you, as I do for the green…

Comments

  1. Indrani26 July, 2008

    Sad, Swarna!
    Did it survive??

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swarna27 July, 2008

    Her family and friends continue to make homes in the same neighbourhood...

    ReplyDelete
  3. RAJI MUTHUKRISHNAN28 July, 2008

    Oh oh, Swarna!So sad

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lakshmi Bharadwaj29 July, 2008

    oh....really??? Sad!! But it was not your fault!! Let the dear lil squirrel rest in peace.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous31 July, 2008

    I know your pain. I recently hit a fawn and broke both its back legs. hard not to feel responsible. I shed a lot of tears.


    Dagny
    www.onnotextiles.com
    bamboo and organic clothing

    ReplyDelete
  6. Swarna31 July, 2008

    Indrani, Raji, Lakshmi, Dagny
    Thanks for sparing a thought for the squirrel

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12 August, 2008

    hey that one was the maternal cousin twice removed of squeaky the fella who lives in p36 environs of sooloor
    he told me with a few microlitres of tears welling up in his tiny eyes

    aditya mustve noticed the twinkle eyed chap......

    you mesh

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

i appreciate that you have some thoughts to share, and are taking the effort to do so.

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Vishnu Sahasranamam- Vani's rebirth

A real 'story' as told by a close friend: "Vani was in her early thirties when I first met her in a Mumbai local sometime in the late ‘70’s. She never talked much but her helping tendency was obvious. She boarded the train at the starting point and always found a seat. Instead of sitting through the hour-long journey, she would offer her seat – a luxury - to another lady. My acquaintance too began this way – a few pleasantries exchanged over the train’s din. After a couple of months, she was not at her usual seat. Everyone presumed that she was on leave. In the busy buzz of the Mumbai life, no one thought twice about her till she came back after nearly 4 months. None of us could recognize her. She had lost weight, her cheeks were sunken, eyes lifeless, and to top it all, she had an almost bald head. Out came the rude shock that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo radiation therapy. She hoped that she had won over the disease, but even before ...
Read more

"Did Hanuman return the mountain?"

Image
The query was popped while we were travelling in Srinagar by road, trying to have a fill of the valley's humbling views of the Himalayas all round. Here are a few glimpses of Gulmarg and Pahalgam My son's query caught us unawares, and also got us thinking about the doubt that we never raised during childhood sessions of the Ramayana epic , and I decided to call my mom, our free encyclopaedia for all things religious / spiritual / cultural. "Yes, Hanuman was disciplined, and he did return the Dronagiri mountain to its original locale". (was our spot answer) Pahalgam Back to the query - Anyone, any idea? There are several versions, all quite satisfactory, if you spare a thought. - Rumassala is one of several places identified by the Sri Lankan Tourism Department as being associated with Ramayana. Hanuman carried a part of the Dronagiri Mountain that was rich with medicinal herbs including Sanjeevani from the Himalayas to revive Lakshmana. 'When the chief physicia...
Read more

Seeing is believing - hot springs of Manali

Image
Hot water springs of Manali - - When I first heard about them, I thought - no, I can't believe it till I see it. In several spots in and around Manali in Himachal Pradesh, there are hot water springs notably at and near the temple for Sage Vasisht, and at Manikaran that is located about 70 km from Manali. These are actually sulphur springs that are the result of Himalayan plate tectonic activity. The sprouts near the temple for Sage Vasisht - nice hot water to wash clothes by hand - nil power consumption of the eco-unfriendly kind, and exellent exercise for the arms! (There are separated bathing areas within the temple premises, where cameras are forbidden) In Manikaran, the sprouts that supply public baths Views from inside the Shiva temple in Manikaran, and the public bath near the Manikaran Gurdwara After seeing them though - I am bemused. In my school history and geography lessons, I have been taught about the 'hot springs of New Zealand' and 'lumbering in Canada...
Read more