Ecological Doom Poem by Madathil Rajendran Nair

Research says
The funeral pyres
Across our land
Cause global warming
Himalayan snow to melt
As do the fires lit
At religious rituals and worship

Beware therefore
Before you light
Incense before the Gods
The Diwali lamps
Not to mention the crackers

Scientists whose moustache hair
Is yet to attain the natural sheen
Of adulthood
Funded by international aid
Are doling out
New gospels for the world to follow

Beware and shudder
Cast your ancient wisdom
Away and embrace
The new vision of science
That predicts
Ecological doom
Every second of the day

Forget your forefathers
Who brought in the rains
By lighting ritual fires
Laid down rules
To celebrate your festivals
At the peak of summer
With fireworks
In order to seed the clouds
And gave you the best way
To dispose of the dead

Ecological doom
Ecological doom
Caused by funeral fires!
When your modern factories
Are sending
Many hapless ones
Early to their unfortunate pyres!

Exaggeration is our wont
Sensationalism our forte
The media is playing court
With vested interests no doubt

And there is this crow
Who gives me company
When I sip my morning tea
On whose wisdom I rely

There are crows and crows
Birds and birds
But we rarely see
Any one of them lying dead
I asked my friend what they did
With the cadavers of their friends

He cocked his head
And cawed out aloud
Ask your scientists
To eat the dead

Wise guy he is
Our scientists now
Should follow his advice
And sit down to eat
Their sumptuous meals
Aproned well
With fork and knife