To a Donkey

To a Donkey

 

On my initiation

to English lesson

a language, alien

as an addition

to mother tongue

to climb the rung

up on the ladder

to classes higher

step by step

upward from prep

to words from letters

with little grammars

sentences, I made

with teachers’ aid.

I was asked to compose

lines, a few in prose

often on a pet animal

in my village found all

except for a donkey

the breed I could see

in the village of my mom

formed on it, ideas some

“Four-footed with a tail, small

no horn ass, it, we may call,

two big flapped ears

its kicks man fears.

Aids it to carry heavy load

even on the unreadable road

with least cost to its owner.

Its kicks, jackals cannot bear,

safe stays livestock,

also duck hen and cock.

most suited to washer man

carring cloths as per his plan,

Energy is not lost

from the earth crust,

no effect on environ

that later I could learn.”

 

y classmates, a few

from childhood never grew

same playful and same fickle

to study they were never mindful,

always jumped and played,

away from class, they stayed,

lagging behind in the class,

and each turned as an ass

at irate teachers’ call

to the laughter of all.

As a child to me

none with donkey

equate, I could

so bemused I stood.

Then in my fancied wisdom

I found arguments some.

as I equated, it

the satires to acquit

with my mother

calling, us in anger

as a child

wicked and wild

having a face, foolish,

a face ,piggish

or having a monkey’s face

or with the face of jackal’s race

for us, those were frequent

we took it as our ornament.

With age and time’s run

such callsm mothers did shun

atrocities on those animals.

at least vanished in calls.

But on donkey, it continues

as man, with its name, boos

while undermining a person.

not suited to his expectation.

From my tender age till old days

thoughts and muses in me blaze

as to why is so to donkey alone

among pet animals, men own

As it is mute to any exploitation

is it made laughter of fun?

or is it too slow for present race

to exhaust forever minerals base?

Being a dwindling breed as a pet

they jump in joy in the forest

not in isolation but in society

beyond the reach of human notoriety.

 

Eh dear Donkey pet

or from the forest!

To you, much I owe

for keeping me on toe

to the duties being ever true

for not to listen to

our names together

one after the other

by friends or foes,

alien or close

at back or on face

of course with God’s grace.

 

P K Routray

In the service of Lord