The recent essay competition about biodiversity gave us all an avenue to delve into the topic. In this regard, while many of us would have written our essays, for this month’s free report, I have chosen to write my thoughts in an unconventional form- as a poem inspired by a real life incident. I have used a short phrase/sentence structure with simple language to keep the focus on the real message rather than diverting the attention with big words, numbers and data. My purpose is to make a better impact on the readers by first building a storyline and then driving home my point.

Live and Let Live

“My role as citizen of Earth”

you ask me to elucidate

And I ponder

If it’s already too late

Lost in thoughts

I wonder what to write

When something happened

to make me cringe with fright

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK

Out of my skin I jumped

The eerie piercing shriek

knocked me out stumped

I raced, heart madly thumping

Daylights scared out of me

Where’s the fire?

What could it be?

Halting in my tracks

as I ran straight into Mom

Yet, hard as I looked,

I couldn’t find the fiery storm

Eyes wild with fear,

her expression was a haze

My eyes scanned the kitchen,

following her wandering gaze

Not a flaming Torch,

but holding an upraised broom

Somewhat frozen in time

Statue of Liberty in doom

Her glassy eyes out of focus,

slowly she turned

as I was trying to figure out

what it was that burned

And then- A long, black, coily tail

disappeared behind the bin

Gosh! IT WAS A RAT

that had caused this rickety din

Suddenly with a mighty huff

out of her trance, Mom seemed to snap

She started a war dance

brandishing a clanging metallic trap

Setting a morsel of bread

with a piece of cheese as bait

She coolly continued her chores

while, in a dilemma I had to wait

Mom was scared indeed

but the rat was more so

We had our cosy home

but where was the poor thing to go

Hoping against hope I asked-

could we not just leave it?- Alone

After all, besides that it lived,

No harm had been done

She stared at me strangely

like I was completely out of my mind

Unhealthy… Dirty … … she yelled

this isn’t a situation to be kind

Its vermin, its dangerous…

she shouted “ IT HAS TO GO”

Oh… our house was built on its home

she never considered that though

The pure air we breathe,

Green wonders that sustain all

Thoughtlessly we uproot them

to build our homes and malls

Head wrapped around my gloom

back in my room, I thought

That vanishing tail choked me

much as I fought

Creatures around us that live

Every plant, each tree

All need to live in harmony and peace

as much as you and me

Step into their sorry shoes

and you’ll be scared to see

Dangers lurking around every corner,

in the skies, in depths of the seas

Climate Change too

adds fuel to the raging fire

Predators and disease

also never seem to tire

Overexploitation as food

and pet trade too

Can animals be safe

only in the zoo?

UV Radiation, chemical waste

are a bag of worries

Looks like we may see some species

only in stories.

For our biodiversity,

they’re as important as me and you

If they were to vanish,

it won’t be long before we go too

Global diversity decline

is a matter of grave concern

Are we going to let them

simply fade into oblivion?

They may not all be of use to us

but they deserve attention

And more so because

we’ve created this sorry situation

Not just flora and fauna

our own race suffers at our hands

We try to divide, air and water

by drawing boundaries across lands

Our desires never satiate-

beyond our wants, we pay no heed

Our needs- the planet can meet

but alas! it fails to fulfill our greed

Wars conflicts, clashes terrorism

Poverty, hunger and strife

Human race for supremacy

defeats the purpose of life

There’s just one law of nature

‘Live and Let Live’

But we humans decided

to take it all, and not give?

“My role as citizen of Earth?”

you ask me to elucidate

And I tell myself

It’s never too late

We can, we must and we will

Join hands to promote

a culture of peace and sustainability,

for there’s hope still…

Does the answer not lie

hidden in your question itself

Let us all be Citizens of the Earth

rather than frogs in our own wells.

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