By Anubhav Verma
An abattoir is opening , they say
In the vicinity
All the animals met that day
Of the city
It was a day grisly , of doom and death
They spoke in whispers low and shallow breath
It was the dog who had heard first
This news ,
He thought
It was a rumour new
But , this canard , he found out later
Was true.
He hastily dispatched the errand girl , the little sparrow
With the errand around
And all the animals passed through labyrinths narrow
To meet in the city ground
The hen and the pig were the first to speak
For they knew
(Along with the sheep, goat , ram and ewe)
That they were sought ,
Relished more by the two – legged
And this was the thought
That paled them as they begged;
“ We shall be the abattoir’s first victims
First to fill the slaughter house
We satisfy best their palates’ whims
And their belly’s grouse
May god save us from such a fate
For the pain is unbearable there
And the suffering great “
Next in the row
Sat a fat sow
And, thus she spake
“Please take
Care of my young ones eight
If they carry me, sooner or late
You know, a mother is always worried
Of her children’s fate !”
This maternal vent welled up tears now
In the eyes of a cow
For she too had a calf
-A mere month and a half –
But religion (she had heard ) protected the bovine
So, for now, she felt safe and fine
But her swarthy kin, her dusky mate-
The buffalo
Was not so
( As they say) fortunate
There was a pullet , marked by silence
Eyes shut, brooding , swaying with a keen sense-
“ What if they carry me by my legs and sell
I shall die before death
For these days , you know, I am not well !”
Thus, all animals , one by one , present
Gave vent to their mind’s bent
And the conference ended
Just as it had started
But, before dispersing , all in unison
Passed a documented resolution
When read
It said :
‘ SHAME !
SHAME !
SHAME !
Humans and their name !
NONE !
NONE !
NONE!
There never was such as glutton !
PRAY!
PRAY!
PRAY!
Let us live our day !’
So broke the motley mob
Contented , having done their job
They thought now peril was at bay
They thought now human guilt would play
But I , being human , had a better cue
For I knew ,
What was to ensue
And it was not a week ere
That opened there
An abattoir new
And it was just a week
That the humans were ready to sup
And the sick , scared pullet
Was the first one to be picked up .