**bull Fighting! Poem by RAJ NANDY

BULL FIGHTING!
(I)
The Minoan civilization of ancient Greece,
Was well centered in the island of Crete;
And had reached its peak around 1600 BC!
Seeing their paintings on potteries and many
decorative vase,
Scholars conclude that ‘bull-jumping’ had been
perfected as a gallant art!
Those jumpers grabbed the bull’s horns, -
Receiving momentum from it’s violent head-
jerk,
Vaulted over its back in a summersault,
To land on both feet to break their fall!
I was spell bound by Minoans courage and agility,
Those acrobatic feats performed with such
dexterity!
Their bulls were not killed and no blood was
shed!
Some acrobats might have been injured instead!
What a shame for our bull fighters of date! !
(II)
Today bull fighting has become a popular sport,
Where the bull gets slaughtered in a cheering show!
Those Roman amphitheaters had remained jam-packed, -
When their Gladiators performed their fatal acts!
But even those gladiators had a chance to survive!
The cornered bull has no place to hide!
To see blood is an age old thrill, but no one likes
to see their own blood spilled! ! !
(III)
Our Matador today is like a popular rock star,
While the bull becomes a martyr in the pit by far!
The bulls mighty horns are sharp and strong, -
Can lift up a man as though he is a rag doll!
But when the picador lances the bull’s hump,
The bull never gets a fair deal and tries to jump!
The Matador then waves his ‘muleta’- a red cape,
The bull makes a final charge, but cannot escape!
I wonder if the bull sees red? !
The Matador amidst much pomp and applaud,
Spikes the neck severing the bull’s spinal chord!
He gets greeted by flower and cheers of Ole!
Let’s learn from those ancient Minoans, - that’s
all I have got to say!
-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
11 May 09
(* The bull is said to have dichromatic vision, &
can see 2 main colors of yellow & blue! It gets
incited by seeing the moving cape & not by the
color of red! Reference several articles on the Inter-net)