Bhagiratha’s Bounty and Other poems-16

English Translation: T.S. Chandra Mouli

Telugu Original : Kandukuri Sreeramulu 

16.Wattles of Goats

When Ganga surges
no matted locks of barrages stand.
After a heavy down pour slides on soil,
rushes to reach ocean bed
moves away beyond reach of anyone;
gentlemen,
strive not to turn back the drained water
chanting ‘mantra’s!
Brooks and hill streams
are not your pet dog puppies
to follow your footsteps.

After lakhs of cusecs of water
helplessly flow to join salty sea
no room for birthday celebrations,
only death ceremonies stare at us.

Don’t be under illusion that
people will forgive everyone
who speaks rubbish,
failing to halt profligate flow of water.

Heavy down pour reached earth
only to find its way to merge in sea,
rain never visualised even in dreams
that blocking its course with feet
someone will raise a check dam.

As all streams surge with floods
before one’s own eyes,
breast beating and tugging at hair
these people stretch their tongues
to taste strings of rain from rooftops,
like ignoring udders that yield milk
and running after wattles
hanging from goat’s jaw.

*****

(To be continued-)

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