Crow Iii Poem by Daniel Trevelyn Joseph

They were not there; I could not see them today,
From the Bandra sky-walk on which I walk
Morning times, enjoying the views and the breeze.

But they were there a few days ago, cawing
And playing in a milder breeze, balancing
With their wings slowly beating up and down
To sit on the edge of shaking branches of tips
Of the trees, mostly cassia, but two of them
On the banks of Mithi river, as it rushes
To meet the Arabian Sea on the West.

The crows enjoy slowly landing absolutely
On the tip of the branch which almost
Cannot bear the weight, and goes down to river
But sometimes some crows continue to sink
With the branch and breeze, and almost pride
Themselves on the successful achievement
And others get scared that they might fall, drown
And lift themselves up in the air.

I stopped on the side of the yellow painted sky-walk
And enjoyed the view on both the trees on the northern
Bank of the Mithi river, being populated by at least
Fifty crows doing this exercise, and converting
The two trees on the bank to an Amusement Park
But for the crows alone, and not another soul,
While the egrets, with or without breeding plumage
And pond herons which reveal the bright white
Only when they fly, and merge with soil as they land
Or the water-crows as they are called in Tamil,
Cormorants floating in water, keeping their sticky
Neck up and on sharp watch for the fish, and sinking
To the bed in pursuit of the fish, and then up flying
Their low graceful flight over the water surface
Reflecting own visage, admired narcissus-like
But no danger to their health till they half-spread
Their wings on some stump, to dry.

While watching the crows, I remembered my first visit
To Meditation camp where Vipassana was taught
In Igatpuri, Nashik District where I enjoyed the ten days
When I was not allowed to speak a word, read papers,
Watch TV. I remember the first day looked like
Being in mental hospital. Meal only once a day,
Of course all vegetarian, and sitting on simple seats,
And eating simple food. Four one –hour meditation
Sessions when you were asked to keep eyes closed
And body still. No part to move. Try it. Painful at first,
It takes about three days to get used to keep the body
Still, with Goenka teacher saying that if you cant keep
Body still even for one hour, how will you ever still mind,
Enter into meditation, and enjoy the riches of Being?

I used to go for a walk morning and evening
In that high ground at Igatpuri, by side of Western Ghat
And Pole Star sitting on the hill-ridge across;
Earlier in the evening I saw Mars, Venus and Jupiter
Aligned within a metre of each on the western sky.
Such was the place when the crows in breeze trying,
Playing with it to land on the tips of swaying branches
I saw there first. Then here two days ago.

Aniccha, meaning change, was permanent,
And so today, both the trees were without crows.