My Little Friend Is Missing Poem by Ch J Satyananda Kumar

My little friend is missing
Have any one of you seen her?
My friend since the days of my childhood
Is no more found in my neighbourhood
I search for her every where
But I found here no where
In search of her
I went in to Churches, Temples and Mosques
To look for her
I searched mansions manors bungalows cottages and huts
I went to offices, schools, colleges, barracks and law courts
I found her now where
I no more found her on tree tops, on sea shores, on river banks and hill tops
My friend who was a frequent visitor to my house and my neighbours’ places
Has suddenly disappeared
Despite my anxious pursuits and quests she was found no where.
My perky and bustling friend, who was always seen, mingling with finches in the fields
Has all of a sudden disappeared from my sight
Born in the Mediterranean and traveled all over the world
She was very sociable and often seen in the company of her friends singing merrily
She was known as Goraiya in Hindi belt
As Kurivi in Tamil Nadu and Kerala
Pretty Pichhuka of Telugu people
Gubbachchi of Kannadigas
Chakli to Gujaratis and Chimani of Maharashtrians
The chirping Chiri of Punjab and Chaer of Jammu and Kashmir
Charai Pakhi of Bengali Babus and Gharachatia of Odiya gudiyas
Chirya in chaste Urdu and Jhirki of Sindhis
Yes she is none other than our dear House Sparrow whom scientist called Passer domesticus
She is no more seen dancing in window sills
Her nests are no more found on verandah grills
She is no more found dancing in air with her wings with lovely frills
Chemical pesticides killed her prey in paddy fields and she has starved for food
Increasing predation by crows and cats forced her to run for her life
Modern buildings and disappearing gardens made the world uninhabitable to her
The indiscriminate progression of civilization has shot her with a noxious arrow
Its final death knell was sounded by Cellular towers which is a matter of sorrow
Alas! The children of future generations may not hear its melodious chirps tomorrow