Species Of God Poem by Ajit Das

At break of day, a few cattle heads were
searching for food in the heaps of garbage
dumped on the roadside over the night.
Suddenly a speeding truck came from behind,
hit the side wall, broke it, injuring a cow.
The driver got panicky, fled away in haste.

The dispersed animals recollected slowly,
stood near the cow lying on the ground.
They could do nothing to mitigate its agony,
excepting staring at it in silent solidarity,
till the municipal rescue team lifted it away.
They dispersed as mutely as they had come.

A few days back across the road an old man
on morning stroll was run over by a moving truck;
he lay injured at the site; joggers trot past -
glances, a few concerned queries, but no help.
A good Samaritan chanced on the scene; then,
too late, no need for a bleeping ambulance.