Anyone who's ever been to the forest in the night, under a moonlit sky will understand what i'm talking about. The scene is set along the banks of the Waingunga river in the Seonee district of Madhya Pradesh, named Central Provinces until independence.
This poem was inspired by Rudyard Kipling, hats off to the man!
The central theme of hte poem is the conflict between man and animal, although the man considers himself to be just as much animal, as his comrades. A tussle between two Titans, both of great prowess and ego which ends in the untimely demise of one. But then, one's death means life for the other. It's a tale of shikaar in the true sense, and not guns and sealed beams and other shit! Read on further, go on...
Characters:
Akela - Chief of the Seonee pack. Old but experienced in the hunting strategy
Mowgli, Li'l Frog, Naked Wolf - The human child adopted by the Seonee pack
Brown Brother - Mowgli's "brother" and sire of Moti and Raksha
Mugger - A river crocodile. "Magar" in Hindi means crocodile
Under the light of the moonlit night, fall our footfalls ever so slight,
It was just a fruit falling, it was just an insect's might!
On Waingunga's loamy banks we wait,
For the one who's life's been sealed by Fate,
In the dense jungle of grass and reed,
Lurk the kill on whom we feed!
Hold still for now li'l frog, hold back your knife so bright,
Lest your blade catch the moonlight ever so slight,
And send them headlong, crashing away in fright!
Death looms in the air, Death looms upon us all
For easily swims Mugger, eager to see who's first to fall
Predator or prey, we're of the land
We're all the same to him, hunting along the river and sand
Said Brown Brother solemnly,
"Akela, behold that sambur stag in plain sight
Look at his form and grace, how great would be his might?
His antlers they cast a pall on the moonlight so bright
Weren't i Moti's spawn, i'd say i wouldn't dare him fight!"
Hidden in the tall grass, a pair of eyes began to gleam
Itching for the fray, trembling for the war scream
Smacking lips and trembling hand,
'Twas the li'l frog, the human in the hunter's band!
More wolf than man, he'd already show'd what he can
He'd slain Shere Khan, his mention struck fear among the Bundar's clan
"The stag'll die 'fore you'll in plain sight
waingunga's water'll flow crimson in the moonlight", was Mowgli the li'l frog claim
Scourge of the Red Dog, one among the Seonee pack of fame
All was not so quiet on the other side,
The weak and the young had nothing but to hide
Tush, tooth, talon or claw
Waited for them as was the jungle law
And yet one didn't bother as before,
Wading deep in the water, far from the shore
'Twas the sambur stag, Bhoora his name
Kaleeghatee was the place from whence he came
Kept he nibbling at the water lily,
What's there for me to fear silly!
It was barsaat, and he was in full rut,
Mightily muscled, and strong in gut
He'd once trounced Mugger with his hoof
Smashed a few teeth, and called his spoof!
Content he was nibbling the water lily,
For there was nothing for him to fear silly
Mowgli waded into the Waingunga, the reeds moved ever so slightly
And in the moonlight stood tall, the blade shining ever so brightly
And in the Seonee pack's sight, called out to Bhoora so proud of his might
"Kaaleeghatee's whence you came, but the Eternal Jungle's where you'll go
"Have you fed at your mother's breast? What prowess have you to show?"
The scream had shattered the silence of the night
'Twas the call for honour, the call for a fight
"Naked wolf of the Seonee pack, do you know who's it that you've dared?
I'll call your bluff, and run you shall tailless as you are scared!
My antlers'll rip your stomach, and splash gore,
Afore the moon's sigh, your remains'll wash ashore!"
With shattering roars, both combatants charged for a fight
Turbulent waters under Poornima's moon, reflected the terrible sight!
Mighty was Bhoora's charge, into Mowgli but he could not barge
Just as deft was Mowgli's knife, but could not score Bhoora's life
The water thrashed and splashed, thrashed and splashed!
And before long, Mowgli had a deep, telling gash
Bhoora's antlers managed a blow score
Thundered he with a mighty roar
Mowgli managed to stand, but only limp
Yet he stood tall, lest he been seen a wimp
Wounded as he was, he wasn't the one who'd die
Before his ears rang with his enemy's mortal cry
Jubilant in victory, Bhoora charged his last
To finish off the Naked wolf bloody and fast!
Muscles rippling and the head bent low, his antlers dripped Mowgli's gore
Charging with all his might, he charged toward the shore
As much in pain he was, his balls were in place and wits all right
And 'fore the stag drove in his killer charge, he made his strike
Deftly side stepped, and let the stag crash
And his knife carved the stag's throat in a slash!
Stricken, shocked and in pain, the stag could little but stumble
And in the reddening waters of the Waingunga gurgled his last mumble
The pack cried out in excitement and joy,
"Meat aplenty, and all the gore
Come along boys, drag the carcass to the shore..."
This poem was inspired by Rudyard Kipling, hats off to the man!
The central theme of hte poem is the conflict between man and animal, although the man considers himself to be just as much animal, as his comrades. A tussle between two Titans, both of great prowess and ego which ends in the untimely demise of one. But then, one's death means life for the other. It's a tale of shikaar in the true sense, and not guns and sealed beams and other shit! Read on further, go on...
Characters:
Akela - Chief of the Seonee pack. Old but experienced in the hunting strategy
Mowgli, Li'l Frog, Naked Wolf - The human child adopted by the Seonee pack
Brown Brother - Mowgli's "brother" and sire of Moti and Raksha
Mugger - A river crocodile. "Magar" in Hindi means crocodile
Under the light of the moonlit night, fall our footfalls ever so slight,
It was just a fruit falling, it was just an insect's might!
On Waingunga's loamy banks we wait,
For the one who's life's been sealed by Fate,
In the dense jungle of grass and reed,
Lurk the kill on whom we feed!
Hold still for now li'l frog, hold back your knife so bright,
Lest your blade catch the moonlight ever so slight,
And send them headlong, crashing away in fright!
Death looms in the air, Death looms upon us all
For easily swims Mugger, eager to see who's first to fall
Predator or prey, we're of the land
We're all the same to him, hunting along the river and sand
Said Brown Brother solemnly,
"Akela, behold that sambur stag in plain sight
Look at his form and grace, how great would be his might?
His antlers they cast a pall on the moonlight so bright
Weren't i Moti's spawn, i'd say i wouldn't dare him fight!"
Hidden in the tall grass, a pair of eyes began to gleam
Itching for the fray, trembling for the war scream
Smacking lips and trembling hand,
'Twas the li'l frog, the human in the hunter's band!
More wolf than man, he'd already show'd what he can
He'd slain Shere Khan, his mention struck fear among the Bundar's clan
"The stag'll die 'fore you'll in plain sight
waingunga's water'll flow crimson in the moonlight", was Mowgli the li'l frog claim
Scourge of the Red Dog, one among the Seonee pack of fame
All was not so quiet on the other side,
The weak and the young had nothing but to hide
Tush, tooth, talon or claw
Waited for them as was the jungle law
And yet one didn't bother as before,
Wading deep in the water, far from the shore
'Twas the sambur stag, Bhoora his name
Kaleeghatee was the place from whence he came
Kept he nibbling at the water lily,
What's there for me to fear silly!
It was barsaat, and he was in full rut,
Mightily muscled, and strong in gut
He'd once trounced Mugger with his hoof
Smashed a few teeth, and called his spoof!
Content he was nibbling the water lily,
For there was nothing for him to fear silly
Mowgli waded into the Waingunga, the reeds moved ever so slightly
And in the moonlight stood tall, the blade shining ever so brightly
And in the Seonee pack's sight, called out to Bhoora so proud of his might
"Kaaleeghatee's whence you came, but the Eternal Jungle's where you'll go
"Have you fed at your mother's breast? What prowess have you to show?"
The scream had shattered the silence of the night
'Twas the call for honour, the call for a fight
"Naked wolf of the Seonee pack, do you know who's it that you've dared?
I'll call your bluff, and run you shall tailless as you are scared!
My antlers'll rip your stomach, and splash gore,
Afore the moon's sigh, your remains'll wash ashore!"
With shattering roars, both combatants charged for a fight
Turbulent waters under Poornima's moon, reflected the terrible sight!
Mighty was Bhoora's charge, into Mowgli but he could not barge
Just as deft was Mowgli's knife, but could not score Bhoora's life
The water thrashed and splashed, thrashed and splashed!
And before long, Mowgli had a deep, telling gash
Bhoora's antlers managed a blow score
Thundered he with a mighty roar
Mowgli managed to stand, but only limp
Yet he stood tall, lest he been seen a wimp
Wounded as he was, he wasn't the one who'd die
Before his ears rang with his enemy's mortal cry
Jubilant in victory, Bhoora charged his last
To finish off the Naked wolf bloody and fast!
Muscles rippling and the head bent low, his antlers dripped Mowgli's gore
Charging with all his might, he charged toward the shore
As much in pain he was, his balls were in place and wits all right
And 'fore the stag drove in his killer charge, he made his strike
Deftly side stepped, and let the stag crash
And his knife carved the stag's throat in a slash!
Stricken, shocked and in pain, the stag could little but stumble
And in the reddening waters of the Waingunga gurgled his last mumble
The pack cried out in excitement and joy,
"Meat aplenty, and all the gore
Come along boys, drag the carcass to the shore..."
lovely narrative of a story
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