The Forest – II

a poem by Ramesh T A

The carnivorous beasts ate snakes and ground fallen gasping fishes only
And spared other animals as long as they never revolted against Nature;
Astonishingly both carnivorous and herbivorous beasts lived as good neighbours
And without anger and fear maintained the ecological balance obeying Nature.

Fruits, vegetables and roots men ate and worked, loved and lived in joy
And by births from the animals to the angels they upgraded themselves in life,
Doing good and great things of human endeavour with vigour and vitality
And so, creating, inventing and discovering beautiful and best things there.

As friends, philosophers and guides angels had taught men many arts and sciences;
With speed and effort they flew with the wind wherever they wished by spirit;
They lived in mountain caves of diamonds, golden huts in the pains and boats on rivers
And carved diamond statues, drew golden paintings and played moving music!

The best among them walked on fire, air and water as a feat of achievement!
At restful sleeps they recharged their spirit with divine power, a feat of sophistication
And to overcome boredom they indulged in dance and revelries with divine damsels
Exchanging techniques of creative art in dance and music from human to divine levels!

Music, the leaping deer, the dancing peacocks and the swimming swans welcomed;
Responding to that the nightingales and the wonderful birds lovingly sang sweet songs,
Which all the animals gathered round them to guard against disturbances
And silently enjoyed listening to them and loved most whole heartedly.

Men, women and children too loved to see the classical dance dramas,
In which glittering men danced singing songs melodiously musical
Easily to be swayed by the dances of the sensuously singing glamour girls
Excelling even the enchanting dances of the gorgeously decorated Medea or Menaka!

The unwinking angels endlessly on looking everything winked unbelievably
And searched for Urvasi and Ramba to make sure they are not missing!
Confirming the glamour of the gorgeous enchantresses prevailing there still
Gods and angels gave out a sigh of relief with joy and pleasure!

Suddenly there ended the glow of my eyes to see anything further!
Once more moved I in darkness on the path of music to the gold mines
To recapture the power of my inward eye to see the other parts of the forest
And to go out of the forest to let the world know what wonders I saw.