Clearing A Forest Poem by Anil Kumar Panda

In the distance
The helpless wails of
Crows fill the air

Branches of trees
Lie like corpses choking
The path leading
To the thin stream

Poles are stacked upon
Dew drenched grasses
That once hungry cattle
Grazed on their way
To the fields

Sound of trees falling,
Men shouting at each other,
Smoke rising scare away
The innocent creatures
It is their playground

This is how a forest
Is cleared
For government projects
That promise jobs
To the jobless and homes
To the homeless

In the station square
A meeting is held
About how to save trees
For our children to
Breathe fresh air