Now or Never

I never ever envisaged me having to hear the ultimatum of Now or Never
I seemed to have lost my visionary wit and literally had to run for cover
I never really imagined the harrowing experience in the mad fight for power
It all seemed such a petty reaction in light of the larger goal of aiming to empower

It all started with a noble thought of creating an environment where every being could thrive
The inner desire was to stay tuned with Nature and encourage each other to live and let live
It required one to be respectful of each other’s privacy and right to create their own hive
It required one to go beyond addressing only self needs and let go the illusion of appearing naive

It was such a wonderful sight, the birds made a wonderful pair, each trying to out-call the other
The hop, skip and the jump and the shining beak faced competition from the display of lovely feather
The short distance covered when they took on wings gave mixed feelings of joy, cheer as also pain
The return flight brought back smiles that one could relate with the first droplets of shower of rain

I dreamt of an environment where all species converge never wanting to have to fight for their space
I dreamt a lovely scenery where diverse species come and get exposed to the other at their own pace
I dreamt of a time when people go beyond their limited beliefs and stop limiting themselves to hearsay
I dreamt of people demonstrating freedom of thought and go beyond engaging in talks of doomsday

I very willingly brought grains to be lovingly fed to the doves that seemed to assemble in droves
I very unwittingly seemed to have polluted the habitat that now also seemed to attract cats and crows
I challenged the folks who were up in arms about their own silence to the gradual death of mangroves
I argued that my efforts were intended to sustain the inherited beauty of Nature and let it naturally flow


I was told that I need to leave behind my fantasies at home while I stepped into the real world
There was a place for non-human species and they were better off at a distance away from the herd
I had enough ammunition to counter them word for word and enough passion to control a heated fire
I had no choice but to run for my life when they warned me finally now or never to lit up my own pyre!