Birds, Where Do You Go? Poem by Sathya Narayana

Flocks of crows and parrots I found that morn
noisily crowing and chirruping in my verandah.
My wife was happily feeding them with grains
'From where came all these? ', I asked with awe

'After three days camp you came late in the night'
'Haven't you found something missing', she asked
Sadly, pointing at the other side of the road.
Yes! The grand old Neem tree is not present! !

I recalled how as a kid I played monkey games on it,
some forty years ago and what my granny used to say
'They are two trees, Neem and Aswatha, in a tight
holy embrace! Kneel before them, namaskaar and pray! '

My wife woke me up abruptly from all that nostalgia
and continued, 'They felled it for road widening.'
'But I'm happy all these birds will stay in this area! '

Wiping my moistened eyes, I replied suppressing
my anguish, 'Birds cannot live in buildings like us dear!
In a day or two; they leave us for ever in distress.
They have ahead for sure, a very, very long journey!
Nowadays, it is not that easy to find a big tree! '

(Neem: Margosa tree
Aswatha: Ficus Religiousa tree
Namaskaar: Showing respect with folded hands)