I Like Birds Poem by anujan raja

I LIKE BIRDS

I like birds,
Not as a lump of flesh
On my table,
But as flashes of colour
Among the leafy branches
Of trees in my garden.

I like birds,
Not in a narrow prison cage,
Wings clipp'd, flight depriv'd,
But soaring in the boundless sky,
Dreaming and singing gleefully
The glories of heaven.

I like fish
Not as a fried, charr'd or greasy lump,
Shrouded in sticky masala,
But as a swirling streak
Of living silver
In a little mountain stream.

I like fish
Not floating listless in a glass tank
In a fancy living room,
But resting at noonday
On the rocky bottom
Of a clear blue lake.
The perfect picture of peace.

I like flowers
Not sweating and suffocating
In a narrow bouquet,
But in a green field
Sun-drenched and swaying
And dancing in the gentle breeze.

I like flowers
Not kept heaped in huge baskets
In the market ready for sale,
Not spread out lifeless
In a fanciful pookkalam made up #
For some silly competition.

But on a green hillside,
Springing into new life
In a riot of colours
And heavenly fragrance,
Nature unrolling her carpet
To welcome all living creatures.
Note: Pookkalam is a floral design often elaborately made up of many different colours. As part of ancient tradition and culture of Kerala, the southernmost state of India, pookkalams are made in the courtyards of homes.