Cowed Down, But not Quite

Perched on the horns of Nandi,

Bharat strikes back,

Too quarrelsome to be cowed down.

And too hypocritical to boot:

Looking askance from a garbage dump,

A thoughtful cow moos her rebuke:

“Having no fodder for me, you will

Let me munch of plastic; having

No shelter, I may roam

The busy street in mortal risk to

Life and limb; driving in your latest

Fad, you may ride over my leg,

Unmindful of my existence; careful

Of your till, you may send me off

To far climes and hostile countries,

Just so long as you do not have

Blood on your hands, although,

All pusillanimity notwithstanding,

You stll feed me to high-class customer

In five-star hotel; I refuse thus

Your politics, preferring to chew

What cud I can from kind men and

Women who do not use me to feather

Their honest nests; let me not be

The cause that this country is hostage

To violent contention that has little

To do with any bovine intention;

Your sins are many; do not hold

On to my tail for a successful franchise—

Your idea of salvation—for I, that

A cow I am, may well burst

Into popular rage and kick

You where it hurts the worst.

Begone, dissembler and mere

User of cows; you always were

And always will remain a louse.”

After such reprimand what

Argument. Already, the hoi

Polloi reject the cynical perfidy.

BADRI RAINA