Choice Poem by RAJ NANDY

CHOICE

A philosopher had mentioned once,
That animals are not subjected or
tormented with choice,
Like us humans on this earth!
In a way it is very true,
Animals neither contemplate the future,
Nor waste time thinking of the past,
Of what could have been or should have been;
As we human always do!
They forever live in the present, all stuck-up
in time,
Adjusted to their lower order of existence,
Which for them appears to be rather fine!

One hot summer's day, I happened to notice
a cow,
Sitting peacefully under a big temple's shade;
Blissfully chewing its curd, and quite oblivious,
Of the many paths of evil and righteousness!
It munched with such serenity, that I was tempted
to think of divinity!
Perhaps the cow had reached a mental state,
Which transcends beyond human existence!
Its holier than thou looks, could not be ignored,
And the total scene had me moved!
When suddenly the temple bells rang out loud,
and all at once,
Breaking my reverie and my trance!
And then I felt, that if ever given a choice,
and granted a boon;
And it would not surprise me in the least,
Should the cow seek to be re-born,
On this planet in a newly acquired human form,
and not once more - as a beast!

-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
05 Apr 08