Their centralized clock system still alive
each morning, the cuckoo starts chirping
at the onset of dawn
calling out to its mate; before long,
the orchestration of the parakeets, crows, mynahs
and the other neighbourhood birds begins.
To me, after the late night appointment
a lullaby that lulls me further into sleep
until the shrill morning alarm goes on incessantly
forcing me to rise up for the day’s work.
With ease, one gets sucked up in the vortex
requires sangfroid to exit without hurt.
Being techno savvy boon or bane, I wonder!
Bombarded by new tools and ideas
with powerful apps and installs
Addiction overpowers everything else;
sleep-deprivation, poor cognitive function
mounting sleep and exercise debt.
I retire with the vow
that gadget-time will be restricted
to get quality-sleep and wake up early
only to be forgotten the next morning
as the drunken man forgets his vows
guilt-ridden for just a while.
How I wish, I had that bird-clock in me
to keep time and things under control!
~Hema Ravi
Chennai, India
Indian Periodical
Indian Periodical
Lesson from Birds
The poem LESSON FROM BIRDS though bereft of stanzas could be divided into segments
The 1st segment ends with the word ‘long’. The word ‘dawn’ is in the previous line Both the words have long vowel sound. The sound lends beauty to the poem, besides the coos and chirps of the birds.
In the 2nd , it ends with ‘begins’. Different kinds of birds may chirp in different octaves which may seem like orchestration to be all ears.
In the 3rd ends with the word ‘work’ The speaker of the poem says about ‘self’ as hearing a lullaby which may perhaps seem falling to slumber, for many an alarm go on, to wake up, to attend to the work of the day, disturbing the sleep.
In the 4th segment ends with the word ‘hurt . As a technical savvy, perhaps boon or bane and, perhaps, as encouraged and persuaded amidst recent technical advancements like apps etc., the speaker of the poem would seem addicted to overpowering everything else, wanting enough stamina and cognitive function added to mounting sleep etc.,
In the 5th part The first line of the part ends with the word ‘vow’. and at the end, ends with the word ‘vows’ The first line and last line may be read. The veritable fact that all would accept. For, after a day’s work, despite with gadgets, one would feel like going to sleep early. For, the routine would continue, with a break during sleep
In the 6th In the last two lines the speaker of the poem, is attuned to the ‘bird’s clock’.
Appreciation
A novel technique adopted to say about the birds
and, about self (the speaker of the poem) as though joining the birds, and accustomed to their sleep,
and waking up in the morning. The poem appeals to the sense of hearing.
The word ‘addiction’ may be applicable to the drunken man in the 5th part and ‘addiction’ to apps etc as in the 4h part. .
The poet should be appreciated for having brought about a situation as ‘addiction’ in different contexts, as above, in 5th and 4th parts (segments). .