The Killer

Prem Videh

Every road looks terribly deserted
Only a few traffic ply on the road
Goods truck and police vans are often seen
When ambulances pass swiftly whistling long
The town looks like a cemetery
And every home feels like a prison
And the dwellers there in are prisoners indeed.

Millions of people have been devoured
Corona-killer is ready at the threshold
With a wide open mouth for devouring
More and more and more people
Who are either in isolation or on ventilators
Terror reigns all round, everywhere.

But why ? The reason is because
Men are culprits and offensive
They have looted and robbed Mother Nature
They have mutilated all her limbs
They have devastated mountains and rivers
Forests have been cut down heavily
The Mother Earth has been emptied
Natural resources have been exploited
In tons and tons, to a helpless extent
Even the sky above is not left safe
All kinds of planes and jets shoot through
Tearing and wounding her chest
Day and night, with immense might
Polluting the Earth and the sky equally.

Men have been devouring since long
Endless animals, birds and small creatures
They have forgotten the great principle
The importance of co- existence
And the importance of co- dependence
The true definition and importance of life
And that’s why Nature gets enraged
From time to time, after a long span
Nowadays Nature is again aggravated
She has come with a terrible pandemic
She is well-equipped with her unseen arms
To take revenge of injustices meted to her.

The time is ripe for learning lessons
Let us be aware and cautious even now
Let us stop doing mischievous activities
Harmful and unnatural behavior
Let us take oath in the name of the Supreme
With ‘ tulsi ‘ and ‘ tama ‘ in our hands
Let us live and die for Mother Nature
With friendly actions and congenial behavior.

Let us have patience and take courage
The darkness of pandemic will be dispelled
If we change our behavior by kindling
A light of kindness, sympathy and love.
Let us take courage from the survivors
Who fought against the killer and won
Let us also owe gratefully to the warriors
Who are working under big stress and risk
To save the ailing mankind, worldwide.

Translated from Maithili by Ayodhyanath Choudhary

Note: In Hindu culture when they take oath seriously, they have ‘ tulsi ‘ leaves and ‘ tama ‘ (copper) in their hands