Festive Time

Hey Devotee! It is festive time For you, To please yourself And me. Yet, I’m sorry to say It doesn’t appease me. You must be Really enjoying The cacophony Of drums and beats That scare away the birds And animals on the streets. May be, there are old people Resting nearby in the very same Streets through which your Clamorous procession proceeds. May be, a baby is in deep slumber. May be, a child is having his exams. May be, someone is reeling under High fever. Needs some rest, if only You could feel and see their stress That keeps rising…the more your Blaring mikes reach their crescendos. What about the waters of my rivers That swell up with tears…they know At the end of the day, when the Pooja culminates, the Pratima is Immersed for Visarjan, Their flora and fauna will take the brunt Of all the plastic, the lead and mercuric Colours, the numerous poly bags, That float all over… My waters blow up with carcasses In the burning ghats, as if that wasn’t Enough, now you do it all the year Through…some Pooja or the other, And my fish and crabs, turtles and frogs, The shells and corals, the molluscs, you name it, I have it in varied forms: my aquatic life Pays the price for your water pollution. Not to mention the noise pollution - That comes with every Pooja celebration. Why make a hue and cry, why publicise Religion, why commercialise it, why not Offer silent prayers to your temple deity? I’m omniscient. I know it all… Your desires and wishes. I know you love me. No need to overflow with so many emotions That disturb the peace and tranquility Of the environment. Please preserve its sanctity. Do not detonate it with all your commotion. Religion should be heartfelt devotion. Not a razzmatazz of pomp and show. Remember me in your silent prayers, Why upset the eco balance with your Irreverent actions of religious fervour? Worship me as Kali, Durga, Lakshmi. I may be also your Saraswati. You also See me as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha. So many forms, myriad tales of my myths. But leave out nature from the pain and agony You inflict on its plants, birds and animals. Don’t malign religion With noise pollution And water pollution.