It was a very cloudy morning

Everything adorned in mellowed grey and green

Caught one’s eyes

A sigh of relief Man heaved

At last it’s finally going to rain, he mused

The cauldron will soon cool down

But lo, not so fast!

The Sun challenged the clouds

It shone with greater intensity

Restoring full brightness of the day,

Soaring the temperature by leaps and bounds

Soon a competition began!

The Clouds and the Sun each dared the other-

‘Stop me if you can!’

A mad race it was-

The picturesque grey and white cottony clouds

Rolling in the sky geared up to cloak the Sun-

Confusion rocked the jungle with its inhabitants

Some chorused-

‘Is it already evening but we just started playing?’

The Sun smiled at them peering through the clouds

Escalating its seething heat and light to its utmost-

A glorified moment it was for it!

Gleefully young birds and animals chorused-

‘No, no it’s still day-

So let’s continue to play!’

While Man struggled to battle with the heat and humidity-

All drenched and asphyxiated!

                               ~Anuradha .S.Bannore

                           Vadodara, India