Leaflets From My Life -My Two Charming Adoptions Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

I have adopted
Two lovely birds,
A Laughing Thrush
From the far off hills of Nilgiris;
And a Teal
From the icy lake of Baikal.

The birds are
Exotic, charming,
Prettier than a painting,
Lovelier than a jewel,
Happier than any human!

Adopting these birds
Does not mean that I cage them
In my house or my compound;
It means, I let them live a free life,
In their environment, breathing fresh air.

The Laughing Thrush
Laughs her heart out with a loud
Peals of Pee-ko-ko, Pee-ko-ko
Breaking the silence of the dark night,
Reverberating through the mystical eucalyptus trees.

For the life of me, I cannot comprehend
The language of the Nilgiri Laughing Thrush,
Sometimes, the sound is like a scolding,
A harsh ke-ke-ke sound that reprimands
Like a teacher to behave myself.

The Baikal Teal
Is an inhabitant of the coldest region of Russia,
Gliding and wading through the iced lake,
A colourful bird like a swan, so cool and calm,
Seated like a Yogi in the purest water of the lake.

The birds do not know at all
That they have been adopted,
To protect and preserve their species.
How does it matter at all? Personally,
All that matters is that I adore these sweet birds



I can never go again to Irkutsk,
To see Lake Baikal or
To watch the Baikal Teal
Sitting pretty in the snow white lake
But I can visualize them in my mind's eyes.

I may make a trip to Nilgiris
Not far from my native land,
But how do I spot my laughing Thrush?
When she is perched on a tall tree
Laughing her heart out in glee.

Well, I have two framed pictures of these birds
Gifted to me by the Bombay Natural History Society.
I look at them everyday, as they adorn my table,
I love my birds for they are my teachers,
Inspiring me to fly and dance like a bird in the sky.