The Little Birdie
The little birdie cocks her head inquisitively
Her pepper corn sized eyes
Fearless
It’s because she has wings, I think
To take flight at the slightest sign of danger
Hovering around me while the pied cuckoo hunts for her lost mate
Till the wee hours of the morn
Will you befriend me tiny bundle of spunk
And show me where you keep your brave reserves of nerve ?
For I often stumble on the cobbled streets of the heart
Falling clumsily on my high heeled feet
More embarrassed than hurt !
Bird -brained, feather -brained, birds of a feather flock together, the early bird gets the worm, .a little birdie told me ;ek chidiya – anek chidiyaan ;to ve tottadeya,’”Azaad mujh ko kar de o qaid karne waale , main be zabaan hoon qaidi, tu chhod kar dua le …”.
The metaphors and similies pertaining to birds are numerous . popping up in our daily conversations . Though we rue the fast dwindling common sparrows that chirped around our homes, these vibrant hued , gutsy wonders , tease us with their ability to fly and rise above the storms of life .The sensible birds tell us to be “up with the lark” and to ‘ sing like a canary”.The nightingale and the cuckoo regale with their mellifluous notes.. A weaver bird can create an intricately woven nest with its beak .
The Bird who Weaves
O Baya
You weave your world on a shaking branch on a thorny acacia tree
Or suspended like a pendulum from a telephone wire
The pond below makes you feel safe o master craftsman
Intricately stripping the paddy leaves and palm fronds
Into long even strands with meticulous perfection
You take eight days to reach the half complete helmet stage
O blatantly polygamous bird
I salute your honest courting of different female partners
Showing off your handiwork to prospective mates as you preen your fresh yellow plumage
Calling out and hanging upside down
To the one who will accept your overtures
Maybe she’ll add a blob of mud to your architectural genius ?
A long tunnel passage to the central nesting chamber
More than five hundred trips you make industrious bird
What takes my breath away is the side entrance you provide your lady loves
Once she succumbs to your advances you hasten up
By eighteen days you are all done !
O Weaver of dreams you are not happy with just one
You make so many of these exquisite creations
Challenging the skill of Varanasi hand looms
Homes for ladies who will bear you eggs
I’m surprised they are not jealous of each other
How you build on eastern sides
To protect your home from south western monsoon winds
You fly in groups making dangerous manoeuvres in the air
Raiding the paddy fields till the farmers are sore
Taking collective dust baths in your personal sauna
O Baya , you sparrow sized wonder
I marvel at your patience and diligence .
The vultures and hawks nest on precarious rock ledges. The common pigeons teach loyalty in love with their mates and their strong homing instincts.How on earth did we think they have no brains?The migratory birds fly tirelessly for thousands of miles to find food and warmth. It is an eye opening lesson to see a bird mama , laboriously and diligently find food to feed her young fledgelings.They will sit on mandirs and masjids alike as they know no caste or religious barriers.. They love all . Paanchhi ,nadiya , pavan ke jhonke , koi sarhad na inhe roke…..”The peacock dances in the rain and walks ”morni ki chaal”. Birds sing after the storm has passed. asking us to rejoice with whatever we have .
Yet how can we forget the irony of the folk song that reminds us that nothing is permanent …..”Saada chidiyaan da chamba ve babul assaan oodd jaana…saadi lambi udaari ve ……..’
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