Deluded traveler stops
by each mirage
thirsty camel sighs
Tag Archive | animals
Ligo Haibun Challenge – The Sage
I heard a screeching noise and saw the creature for the first time. It looked like a goat, but was something different. Later, I learnt that he was a Llama. After eating the grass, he looked at me. It was a contemplative look, as though he saw something that others had missed. It was a look that animals did not give humans. It was as though he knew everything that was going on.
Later, the shepherd drove him away and the Llama threw a resigned look. I thought of him as a sage. The Llama presented an odd picture, trotting amongst regular sheep. ‘The sage’ came everyday and probed my cottage, conveying different thoughts, till the shepherd spotted and whisked him away.
Eternal prejudice
supreme intelligence
locked inside a four-legged genius
The above was written for the Ligo Haibun Challenge. This week we have photos of the Llama and the penguin. Take part and share your haibun with us.
Watching Them
We watch them in grasses
Grazing to their full
and staring curiously
Little knowing the intentions
The next day – they are in our dining tables
in varying forms and sizes
We watch them in media
Call them ‘endangered species’
while wearing their skin
as a deterrent against cold
and an object of fancy
We watch them in the forest
Marvel at their ferocity
Hiding in a safe place
The next day –
the trophies of our ‘bravery’
hang in our walls
Just think for a moment
of the dying animal
Liken their blood with yours
Look into their eyes,
think of your loved ones
and we will never do that again
The Country in Far East
There is a country on the Far East
much favoured by every beauty of nature
A land of splendid hills
Here the flowers are not plucked
and the roads are not soiled
There is unlimited freedom
with different people united
Voices are soft
and everybody is heard
Animals speak here –
Dogs in a pleasing voice,
Horses commanding
Cats proud
and the squirrels in a melting tone
No arrogance and abuse
in the countless networking sites
Acceptance and equality all around
with opportunities in abundance
Jimmy
His name was Jimmy
As many dogs in his place were called
His master barked orders at him
Still under the delusion that he was in the army
Jimmy delighted in teasing his mistress,
Who was dreadfully scared of dogs
But the little boy in the house tormented Jimmy
By throwing stones at him
Or pulling his ears
The dog stayed in the house
Only for the girl, who fed him delicacies,
Petted and pampered him
If there was one person Jimmy loathed,
It was Aunt Cheryl,
Who dressed him in red frocks
And tied red ribbons around his tail
Tale of a Deer
I escaped the terrifying forest
Leaving behind ferocious predators
And loving mates
To come to this lush green city
Full of life and vegetation
And what do I behold?
But predators in sophisticated attire
Lusting my skin
And desiring my meat
And I see the meat of fellow animals
Hanging in butcher shops
So out of shape
That I am unable to identify them
I have a tiny heart that beats, too
And I decide to go back to the forest
Live with my friends
And confront my predictable enemies
Leon – The Racehorse
There was a racehorse named Leon
He commanded like a lion
Fastest in any race
He ran amongst debris and haze
With eyes cast down, he looked a demure woman
With raised eyes, he looked like a proud dominant male
Like a royal he was fed
He dismissed the unwanted with a toss of his head
He loathed fear
In anyone who stood near
But he feared the look of old racehorses
Now huddled in the barn
Faster than he was in their heydays
And always wondered about the day
He would be relegated to a corner
Another Precious Life
He bought me from a village fair
Marvelled at my wool so rare
And fed me with love and care
I bleated my gratitude
Flourished under his concern
Played with his children
One day I realized his farce
When he shot his horse
The same one he had patted
Praised and petted
Then I saw him bargain
Greed in eyes
Money in hands
He gave me no look
As I was pushed into the truck
Crowded with sheep my size
We bleated away
Pleading for mercy
And I understood the world
Where the weak are trampled
Where strength and money
Overtake kindness and humanity
And I came of age
A few moments before my impending death
