Songs - Tyres To Birds! Poem by Daniel Trevelyn Joseph

If differentiation is essence of development,
The noises produced on the BKC road are it,
Even before the dawn breaks over the big Moon
Still hanging as a yellow shining plate up the sky.

The speeding Honda City is different from BEST
Rolling big but softly towards the bus shelter,
Perhaps it is the speed that counts in noise,
For the crude mo-biker teen makes most of it.

Back in our Jasmine building, the Schindler lift
Opens silently that we many a time miss that;
In, you put on the fan switch, and then you are
Assailed with so much noise, can't hear anything!

Early morning walk is laced with loud strands
Of noisy male singing coming from the masjid
From the nearby slum, not tuneful but religious,
Many are intolerant but afraid of even to criticize.

I remember in younger days I looked forward
To hear the recorded Carnatic music blaring from
Temples with red and white stripes in South India,
Near home of my Christian parents in Perungalathur!

I had gone to Sethusamudram, close by Rameshwaram,
With Chairman of Dredging Corporation of India
To see the environmental safeguards in place, but was
Surprised to hear of noise reduction out in the sea.

The noise of the wind, or the pouring monsoon rains,
Or the ever-roaring sea is no different in attack on ears,
But because we are used to think of Nature nicely,
They sound like flute and veena to our partial ears.

First time exploring bird-song, I was distracted when
Young searching for the song of melody and tune,
Till I learnt that caw caw, chir-rup, tu-whit tu-whoo,
And co co ri co are the noises fondly called bird-song!