Turtle, Sparrow and a blue cool sky, that summer day
(Three Poems for kids)
R P Singh
1
Boga Meets Teema on the Turtle Day
That scorching 23rd May !
A day, Teema was in shock !
Boga came rushing so fast
He was shouting from quite a far .
“ Hi, Teema , hello dear …
Come up to the bank,
come quite near! ….”
Mega pond had silver ripples
and Teema , listened the hark.
“Teema turtle , hey listen buddy!
Teema turtle , its your day !
It is your day! World Turtle Day!
It is May twenty –third,
the city was waiting for it
the whole long month !
It is the Turtle Day ,
Teema , it is your day!”
Teema turtle heard the call
and came up towards
that pool small.
“Hello dear Boga ,
my buddy ,my bro!
Why is this?
This all hullabaloo?
You are panting so fast and up,
What’s there , what’s up ?”
“My dear crony[1]
come on , and listen ,
Hey dear chum[2] ,
let’s go!
We shall move ahead to school
I will keep you in little muddy pool.”
“Why celebrations?
What day is it dear pal?
You said;
It is Turtle day !”
“Yes , it is observed on May twenty -third ,
aiming an awareness to be spread!
Awareness on you , hey aqua king !”
Boga was eager to narrate it all
emotions so large , and words fall short.
“Awareness about habitat
and awareness on your life-style .
We ask people to be your friend
we ask them to know you more.”
Now Boga was in his teacher’s mode
Teema was listening in fullest of joy!
“Listen, listen, listen dear
Perhaps the day focuses tortoise as well?
You know it too well,
many of you say- we are the same,
turtle and tortoise ,both the same
but we are different , quite different.
We , turtle live in water ,
and tortoise are land creature,
and yes ,
difference in out our life-spans,
for turtle it is forty years
and for tortoise ,
it spans up to three hundred!”
Boga felt sad knowing the age span.
Teema smiled with care and joy,
“I see friend, you are shocked at age ,
we go to nature and come back again .
Know more facts, more about us ,
we play our role so significant ,
we do our best to make earth cool ,
and work for ecosystem so .”
Boga was nodding ,
looked serious and convinced,
Teema was narrating
with fun a pinch .
“ Do you know , friend ?
Tortoise dig holes
which are inhabited
by other creatures .
My dear friend
that is the real intent .”
“You are so close to us
My lovely friend
My happy friend !”
Boga smiled ,
his cheeks turned red.
“Let people know your strength.
Let people thank you, for your role !
You are so good , making our planet cool .
Oh yes , Teema, do you know ,
The World Turtle Day calls on people ;
To adopt you !
To support you !
To befriend you !”
“ Of course buddy ,
as you have done !”
Teema laughed
and Boga ,the child, followed.
2
A blue cool sky that summer day
A blue cool sky that summer day ,
Sun was young , rose a while back,
mild wind there saw the kids
and came smiling
from across the leaves .
The Neem leaves, too ,quite tender,
Do you know?
They are born
just three months back.
The village sees glory
at the time of dawn ,
Summers are up ,
and the schools closed.
Kids at play ,and men at work.
Moms were doing household chores.
Balbi brought his EVS book ,
some pencils , drawing sheets and all,
he has to sketch ‘ neighborhoods’,
it was homework- the school task.
Balbi glanced the sky above ,
It was bright , so cool ,so blue!
“Hey Dreko , see the sky
see that kite , so calm , so big !
This bird is strange , its wing so strong !
How mighty ,it looks different !”
Balbi shrieked, and all noticed ,
Balbi was here, from a town- school,
had come to his granny this summer ,
to this village so calm and cool.
“It is strange , quite strange bro !
I haven’t seen any bird so !”
Dreko looked a little serious,
no time lost , more children came.
To them , it was so strange !
Slowly the kite descended on a tree,
It was dry- just a deadwood tree.
It is so big ! So strange a bird !
It was wonder, watching it !
Little Moni shrieked at the glance
Manga uncle watched this all.
“Hey kids , no wonder , this is a bird ,
yes quite strange, you all may feel!”
Said uncle Manga entering the scene,
at his entry , the kids looked keen .
3
Gonny sprarrow that bright day
Gonny sprarrow smiled
that bright day ,
the Sun was up
and the wind little low .
The colony was alive ,
happiness spread ;
everyone happy
that world sparrow day .
The boxes are dummy
their colours so bright
but it is step
quite touching and right .
Mega –hey child
I know you dear!
My friend,
you come
with love and care .
Tell your friends .
that feeling matters,
we are domestic birds
for us, just love matters.
Mega , please talk to your dad,
he will tell;
our close bonds with humans.
But you see , now it is getting fade.
In days past , we lived so close,
sparrows were your granny’s friend ,
your dad’s friends
your uncle’s friend .
Every morning , we came to awake
the small kids that slept there ,
And you know , we sang our songs .
Let’s make our bond strong.
Mega dear, we are friends .
Celebrating a day makes a word
but it is not enough for a cause.
Feelings to rail forever so large,
let’s maintain our sustainable bond .
Let’s maintain our family bond.