THE FALL OF A GIANT

 

My life started from just a seed, like one and all of you,
But you did it in a civilized womb, safely, in an amnion
Subjected to the turbulence of the nature around me,
Below the sun, the grazing cattle, the avian and human,’

You got the care in the nursery, most of you very lucky,
Coming out in a dignified route, mine was at cross road
Some of you got expelled, voluntarily, I am not plucky,
Below the soil, anoxic conditions pushed me to explode.

Early stages were in turmoil, helped more by the nature,
I prepared my food, thanks to the sun and seasonal rains,
Monsoon troubling me more at times, to spoil my tenure,
All this time you were in cozy comforts of thy domains.

Contrary to your growth, sunshine truly is a bliss to me,
You sweat, and conspire at noon, I often transpire then,
You opt the evening glee, I adapt for the morning spree,
You scheme learning in school, I stream in glowing sun.

Your branching is in mid teens, mine so faster and in swift,
You rear in your early twenties, mine within seven seasons,
You shoulder the burdens, if lucky, starting in late twenties,
I grow wider, sheltering many of you under me for seasons.

I pay hostage, to many a bird species, building nests on me,
Think and tell me, how many of you help your men in need,
I give them delicious pulp to eat, barring the ones you leave,
Every year I tease you with sour, later I will give sweet breed.

I live longer than you, untreated, but helping even in senility,
You ail in nursing homes, senile though I am, have to go on,
You may have a peaceful demise, here I am, losing stability,
In this I sway once too often, the natures’ fury is on song.

Once dead, you are useless to anybody, here I score over you,
Here I lay uprooted and dead, you get buried or cremated,
All will cut my strong body to get logs to build a house for you,
Think man, help others, else I will take part in your cremation.