JANTA CURFEW
Whenever governments find themselves in a stew
They cannot resist cooking up curfew Garnished with Section 144
Guarantees the janta stays indoors.
Thank heavens birds neither understand
nor, respect human laws!
Dawn broke with a cacophony of syncopated caws
Joined by mellifluous koyal and parakeet
Bringing improvised symphony onto the street.
A pleasant change to shatter the quiet
From the daily depressing high-decibel diet.
It will take much more
than a day of curfew
To relieve the ravages of this pandemic
It will take much more
than a day of curfew
to free us from human follies endemic
It will take much more
than a day of curfew
To convince the birds
To regale us with harmony alchemic
It is not with thalis clanging
It is not with pots and pans banging
We express our thanks
To over stressed workers.
Why use noise to create applause
When there is music to serve that cause?
'Tis the time for Om, Azaan and Church Bell
Our indebtedness to tell.
Why are we bent on creating Hell?
If you savoured today's sound of silence
If it restored somewhat your balance
Why not every day there be a curfew
To tell the birds "we're there for you"?
© 2020 Ranjan Kamath
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