My Upanishadic Birdie Pie 5 Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

The next morning,
As I sit in the same chair,
Facing the same window,
My black and white friend arrives.
She sits on the same Mango branch.
This time, she is not quietly watching me.
But making a shrill sound,
Attempting to say something
In monosyllables - to convey a special message,
Something vital, something very valuable!

I am filled with joy.
Did I hear ‘ Upanishad'?
Yes, the Vedic knowledge of the Upanishads!
The very word ‘Upa-ni-shad' means
To sit close to the teacher
In rapt attention!
The pupil sits with great humility and devotion,
Drinking in the nectar of spiritual knowledge!
This is the message of my birdie friend,
I jumped with joy having understood the message of my birdie-pie!

After several meetings of silence,
Observing each other,
And few monosyllables,
At last, we got to talk!
"Little birdie, where have you come from? " I asked.
"Far, far away, yonder" she chuckled back
"Yeah? Which is your native place? " I asked again
Now, she broke into a babble!
"I do not have a native place as such.
The whole world is my native land!

After a while she continued, as I sat watching her.
"I am at my liberty to settle down anywhere.
Right now, this is my place!
I live in that Jack fruit tree, just behind your bedroom window.
I love to sit on this mango bough and look at you writing!
For the time being, my world and my native land
Are between these two fruit trees!
The thick bottle green leaves of the Jack fruit tree
Are a covering, protecting and sheltering us
From unknown enemies and calamities!

Awe-struck that I was, I sat quietly listening to the birdie -pie.