Vanishing Vision Poem by Vadakkumpurath Ramesan

It was wet, wild and wonderful
With the country-boats moving
With men trying luck
To throw net over
The face of the ripples
Of the small lake
To net the gold fish!
It was beautiful
To see the vision of birds
On the thick palm trees
Chirping and chattering
To met a caterpillar
To meet the burning hunger!
It bore a marvelous look
As the thickness of mangroves
Welcomes the west-wind
To sooth the toiling ryot
On the murky marshy fields!
It was fantastic with
The vision of water lilies,
The cattails, sedges
The tamarack, black spruce
The cypress and the innumerable!
It was awe invoking
But astonishing to me
To see the reptiles wading
Through the water surface
And to dive deep
To catch a golden fish!
I could not stop giggle
As the reptile caught
On the leg of a rising crane
And unravel from the crane
And splashed to the shore
And both had a frightened look!
The birds on the palm trees
Giggle and I too giggle!
I abruptly became somber
As the vision of wetlands
Are vanishing to the dry
Earth and the hot sky!