Evolution Poem by RAJ NANDY

EVOLUTION


No need to open that parasol,
For this light passing shower;
Which comes as a blessing -
During these parched summer months
of May and June!
Instead let those rain drops fall -
On our heads at tandem,
Playing some ancient tune!
...............................
I suddenly thought of our Neanderthal
ancestors,
Who had so often got drenched in
lashing rains,
And also dried under the relentless
sun;
Whenever caught unaware,
With no big rocks, trees or caves
nearby,
To shield them against the vagaries
of nature!
Perhaps their thick skin and mantle
of hair,
Gave them protection and immunity;
Coupled with greater powers of
tolerance and perseverance!
Or was it simple indifference to destiny
and fate,
With no tarot cards to guide them! ?

Today , after millon years, we get our
induced sleep,
With doctored pills;
And at the slightest provocation,
Indulge in road rage, or even murder,
Going to the extreme end!
And faced with dissapointment,
Get ready to jump off a sky- scraper,
Ready to extinguish this God-given
beautiful life, -
At the dropp of a hat!
We are now highly civilised,
With progressive mind and developed
sense,
And with nil tolerance and perseverance!

-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
14 Jan 08