Let Devil Take You Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

One day, a hungry Devil,
With all its look of evil,
Stood before a stranger,
Struck by the impending danger.

Its blood thirsty mouth,
And long-sharp-dark teeth,
Shook him up and down,
As his legs failed to run.

'Before I swallow you, ' said the Devil,
'If you've any desire to fulfil,
Or you've any question to ask
Let me know it, by now, quick.'

'Oh, Devil, I'm the only son,
To my dear parents 'm born.
You eat some one else offered,
In my place, as your food.'

The Devil roared and agreed,
That a substitute be found,
Quicker, the better for him,
Should he want his freedom?

A cart man on the road,
With cart full of load,
Whipped his sluggish bull,
To run in speed, fast and full.

The driver shouted, 'Let devil take you,
You run fast, Or else, I'll kill you, '
As the bull moved on a slow speed,
And paid his bullies little heed.

'This golden offer you can avail,
And let me go free on my trail.
You can eat this unwanted bull,
And be fed to your stomach full.'

'No, wait and see till the end, '
Said the Devil, as they followed.
When, at the destination, the cart,
Well, came to a screeching halt.

The bull, untied from its yoke,
Got his caring pat on its back,
For reaching home safe and sound,
Unmindful of the bleeding wound.

'The cart man didn't mean it really,
What he uttered in his hurry,
The bull, he cares, shows his love.
So, his offer, not in hate, I can't allow.'

Next, at a distance, a tired mother,
Scolded her stubborn child, in her anger,
'Let devil take you, if you don't eat,
Or else, with this stick I'll beat.'

With this threat, the child had its feed,
And then the mother fondled the child,
Hugging and kissing, a symbol of her love,
The limit of which, she couldn't spell how?

The Devil, thereafter, eyed on its prey,
But holding a dog that passed on their way,
He addressed, 'Do me a favor, you Devil,
You gulp me, once you straighten this dog's tail.'

The Devil, non-stop, went on this work,
But the tail, as usual, curled back like a fork.
The stranger, at last, won his freedom,
Yes, you see, by his own timely wisdom.