Village: Then And Now Poem by Namita Rani Panda

The azure sky above,
And the green meadows under feet
Were ever ready to greet
Where stars used to steal sleep
And flowers relieve grief
Where river was the mirror
For the clouds drifting above
The river dancing in glee
Towering trees swing in spree
The birds singing the song of love
Peace cooing like a white dove
The dusk falling with the song of the farmer
Who returned from field after bone-braking labour
The night descended with the lullaby of granny
That drifted to a wonderful world so uncanny
The earth smelling sweet with the kiss of rain
The clouds kissing the bosoms of lofty mountains
The prayers from temple purifying the air
The sun at dawn waking up to the call of the rooster
But now there is only the forest of sky scrapers
Farmers are replaced with tractors and tillers
The sleep is stolen by the growling of loud speaker
A distant dream is the sweet song of the farmers
Rivers are black and stinking like gutters
No sparrows or pigeons sing the glory of nature
Stars are hidden behind the screen of neon lights
Peace, a cry in wilderness, violence on the front seat
T.V serials and mobiles have replaced the granny
Not the sky but visible only is the front balcony
The air is pungent with the smell of traffic and industries
AC has replaced the cool natural breeze
Golden were those days, now lost in history
Can ever those days be regained is a major mystery!