THE INDIAN HUNTER, RAWAT

 THE INDIAN HUNTER, RAWAT.

As the cock crows, Rawat awakes,

Took hold of his bow and arrows

Walk past his hut

Takes the narrow path

Singing spiritual song in Hindi

Launching into the forest

The trees bow in obeisance

The leaves claps and cheers

The squirrels and rabbits burrows

The antelopes swerves and hide

But the hunter is not yet ready

He tarries under the pine tree

And took a nap

Awakening, sighted a wonderful scene

Segments of the wild, gathered around

Some greenish grass, eating slowly

He approaches the scene

But the animals were unmoved

Closer and closer, but they were

Glued to the wonder grass

He wondered, what has happened to them?

Why are the animals so lost; consuming the wonder grass?

There and then on the spot

He couldn’t believe his eyes,

Some animals were in deep sleep

Others were eating and staggering

Slowly, he stooped down

Observed the grass and took some to taste,

The spirit of dizziness confronted him…

Rawat went home with some

Of this wonder grass

For further examination and study

On reaching home, informed his wife

About the wonder grass and they 

Cooked it with some of his catch

After eating, they slept on and on

Past the hour of the cock crows

Till dawn and dusk converges again

At the zero hour of the spirits

As the crickets chirps, they awakens

Looked at each other bewildered

Eureka! Rawat proclaimed to

His entire neighbourhood:

The cure for insomnia is found

And this led to the discovery of

The Indian hemp.

Happy Independence Day, India!

©Gabriel Udensi.