by BABY KATTACKAL

HARK! I HEARD A SQUEAL, A  CALL,

AS IF AN SOS CALL,

SEEKING HELP, A CALL,

FROM THE NEAR BY BUSH, A CALL.

I STARTED PROBING THE BUSH,

AS IF FILTERING THE BUSH,

WITH A HEART OF COMPASSION,

SURE, THE SQUEAL, ONE, SEEKING COMPASSION.

A HAPLESS CREATURE SURE, IN DISTRESS,

FOR SQUEALING IS A CRY IN DISTRESS,

OF A CREATURE IN DISTRESS,

FOR CREATURES SQUEAL ONLY IN DISTRESS.

WATCHING THE NATURE,

I LEARNT FROM NATURE,

THE SQUEALING INDICATES, DISTRESS,

OF A SQUIRREL OR A BIRDIE, IN DISTRESS.

 INITIALLY, I COULDN’T PLACE,

OR SPOT  THE PLACE,

FROM WHERE  THE SQUEALING CAME,

EXCEPT VAGUELY, THE DIRECTION  IT CAME.

PROGRESSING, UNSURE OF THE   DIRECTION,

I WAS MOVING IN A DIRECTION,

BUT THE SOUND CAME LOUDER AS I PROGRESSED,

AN IMPETUS, THE SAME DIRECTION TO PROGRESS.

PARTING THE FOLIAGE  I PROGRESSED,

THAT MILITATED MY PROGRESS,

I SPOTTED AN UNUSUAL STIRRING OF LEAVES,

HOPEFULLY, I PARTED THE STIRRING LEAVES.

THERE I SPOTTED A DIMINUTIVE FLEDGLING,

 AN UNFLEDGED FLEDGLING,

TREMBLING  IN COLD,

OFF ITS CAGE’S PROTECTIVE HOLD.

IN MY PRESENCE,

IT SHOWED SIGNS OF SOMEONE’S PRESENCE,

 FOR IT STOPPED ITS SQUEALING, IN MY PRESENCE,

THOUGH UNABLE TO FIX WHOSE PRESENCE.

IT PARTED  ITS TENDER BEAK RED,

SHOWING THE SOFT INSIDE OF ITS MOUTH, RED.

AS IF THINKING OF ME AS ITS MOTHER, WITH FEED,

MAKING ITS USUAL VISIT TO IT, TO FEED.

I FELT ITS SOFTNESS IN MY PALM,

I FELT ITS WARMTH IN MY PALM,

BUT WAS SHIVERING ALL THE WHILE

WITH FEAR, ALL THE WHILE.

I COULD CONFIRM THE SHIVERING

WAS DUE TO FEAR, THE SHIVERING,

FOR ITS HEART WAS NOT BEATING BUT POUNDING,

HEAVILY, POUNDING.

I CARASSED IT  GENTLY,

TO PUT IT AT EASE, GENTLY.

IT WAS A PARAKEET SO TENDERLY,

GREENY, SO BEAUTIFUL SO FRAIL,

SO FRAGILE, SO SLENDER,

IT NEEDED CARE, SO TENDER,

THAT I DECIDED TO REAR IT WITH CARE,

 FOR ALL I WAS WORTH,  WITH TENDER CARE.

I CHECKED IT FOR ANY INJURY,

IT’S BODY WAS SANS ANY INJURY.

SLOWLY I STARTED BACK,

TO BE HOME BACK.

FOR MORE TENDER CARE,A CAGE

I MADE, AN IMPROMPTU CAGE,

BUT WANTED THE CAGE,

WITH  ALL THE COMFORTS OF A CAGE.

 I COVERED THE BIRDIE WITH SOFT FLANNEL,

TO GIVE IT WARMTH UNDER THE FLANNEL,

I GENTLY OPENED ITS MOUTH, LOOKED IN,

DRY WAS ITS TONGUE WITHIN.

“HYDRATE IT!” MY MIND URGED FROM WITHIN,

IT NEEDED LIQUID FOOD, AN URGE FROM WITHIN,

I GAVE IT LIQUID GLUCOSE FOOD,

THE NEED OF THE TIME  LIQUID  FOOD.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD SOON FALL ASLEEP,

RIGHT MY THOUGHTS WERE, IT DID SOON FALL ASLEEP,

LIKE A NEWBORN BABE’S USUAL AFTER- FEED SLEEP,

IT SOON FELL  ASLEEP.

DAYS WORE OFF, IN ITS USUAL ORDER,

THE NEW CAGE I ORDERED,

WAS BROUGHT AS PER THE ORDER,

IT HAS A BAR ACROSS INSIDE, AS ORDERED,

AND A RING HANGING FROM ITS ROOF, AS ORDERED.

ALL THESE WERE MADE TO ORDER

FOR IT, TO PLAY AS IT GREW OLDER AND OLDER.

UNLIKE THE USUAL CAGES WITH NARROW CONFINES,

THE CAGE HAD SOME EXTRA SPACE IN ITS  CONFINES.

WEEKS AND MONTHS PASSED,

THE DAYS OF LIQUID FOOD TOO PASSED,

THE DAYS OF SOLID FOOD TOOK OVER,

FRUITS, RAGGIES, OATS, THE RIGHTFUL CHANGEOVER.

IT GREW FASTER AND STARTED TO DO ACROBATICS,

PARALLEL  BAR ACROBATICS,

SWINGING ON THE HANGING RING ACROBATICS,

WITH SUCH  PROFESSIONAL FINESSE, IT’S ACROBATICS.

IT STARTED RECOGNIZING ME,

ITS ACTIONS IN MY PRESENCE SHOWED ME

IT WAS HAPPIER WHEN I WATCHED, AND  SHOWY,

PERHAPS TO MAKE ME HAPPY BY BEING SHOWY.

IT’S FEATHERS GREW FAST AND THICK,

SO AS TO COVER ITS FRAGILE BODY THICK,

ITS WINGS GREW SO STRONG TO FLUTTER,

AND INSIDE THE CAGE, IT STARTED  TO FLUTTER.

ITS BEHAVIOUR SO HEARTY IN MY PRESENCE,

ITS LOVE  SO HEARTWARMING IN MY PRESENCE,

IT MADE ME  TOO, SO HAPPY IN ITS PRESENCE,

THAT MY LOVE TO IT OVERFLOWED IN ITS PRESENCE.

ONCE, I THOUGHT OF  GIVING IT FLIGHT TRAINING,

IN MY OWN WAY,  THE TRAINING,

TYING A  THIN THREAD ON ONE OF ITS LEGS, SO FIRM,

AND THE OTHER END ON MY BUTTON-HOLE, SO FIRM.

WHEN I RELEASED MY HANDS IT FLUTTERED,

 AS LONG AS THE LENGTH OF THE THREAD, FLUTTERED,

I LOVED  TO SEE  THE BIRDIE IN FLIGHT OUTSIDE,

THAN IT’S FLIGHT INSIDE.

DAYS NEVER WAITED LONG,

TO ENTERTAIN ME THAT WAY LONG,

AND ONE DAY IT HAPPENED,

UNEXPECTEDLY IT HAPPENED.

THE BIRDIE WAS IN ITS USUAL FLIGHT OUTSIDE,

IT WAS A MISHAP IN FLIGHT OUTSIDE,

THE BIRDIE FLEW OFF ITS LOOSE KNOT ON ITS LEG,

WARBLING IN ECSTASY, IT PERCHED ON A TREE ON ITS FREE LEGS.

SHOCKED, HAPLESS I COULD ONLY LOOK AT ITS FLIGHT,

SLACK JAWED, AT ITS FLIGHT,

ITS WARBLING TAUGHT ME, IT LOVED FREEDOM,

MORE THAN MY LOVE, CARE, THE FREEDOM.