To The Bovines On The Roads Of Chennai Poem by Shankaran Kutty

If you don’t like being called a buffalo
I will happily call you a jolly good fellow
And you Madam, my dear holy cow
Please do get off my streets some how

At the sight of you I scramble to lower my gear
And my whole body starts shivering with fear
On the highways where we go at high speed
On a summer vacation, your family why lead?

Last week a guy did brake and skid
And fell into the ditch along with his kid
And a girl in a hurry who crossed the road
Got knocked down by you, you were playing when bored

In the dark night, when it is pitch dark
In the middle of the road, why do you park?
As if drunk, you always do swagger
With your size, us humans why bother?

When I saw you toss a dog with that horn
So scared was I, wished I never was born
How is it you have such a cute calf
But cute you aren’t, even by half

On the tarred roads, what do you feed
Then to slowly saunter, what is the need
All the dust, smoke and sound pollution
Couldn’t you do without all that confusion

I for one would heave a sigh of relief
If you end up on my table as roasted beef
Those roads are made from the tax I pay
So it is high time you got out of my way

Trust me, I don’t despise anything bovine
In fact happy am I to see you divine
But in a temple or farm, why don’t you stay
And leave me free to ride my highway

I will get you enough hay and grass
And hang a bell of shining brass
Ask me if on your horns you want a fan
For peace of mind, I will do all I can

So next time I do drive on the road
I don’t want to see you and your herd
We will pray to you as a being divine
But the roads, I am certain, I want it to be mine