I was Green Once or The Tale of a tall mountain
The wonderful Western Ghats
where I see a red sunset,
lies close to my town.
Beautiful in setting,
spread as a giant,
running north-south,
bordering nearby Kerala state
Its pointed peaks challenge Mount Everest.
I remember it was green once.
It was Emerald in bright sun.
Huge trees stood once,
thick as hair on a hippie-head.
Tribesmen feared those jungles.
Picnickers returned back
in haste, in fear.
Its hidden secrets unseen, untouched, unknown
Tigers, leopards, elephants
wild oxen, deer and boars……………
My God! Every creature in Noah's Ark
sanctuaried there.
Three Europeans, who wore
khaki dress and thick hats
went in with guns,
bagloads of bullets.
They did swear to hunt.
Never did they return
(Lions feasted them all)
Cool, fresh, clear streams ran
along the ribs of these mountains
making the valleys fertile
Alas ! Woodcutters entered
with deadly axes,
that fell every tree,
bidding everlasting sorrow.
Every green thing fell flat
to greedy hand- saws.
Nature's plenty robbed
night and day.
Bounty of God made bald…
Western ghats today,
look pitiful, pathetic, barren,
tells me a tale of sorrow,
that begins like this,
' Ah Yes ! I was green once………………'
------------------
Ramesh Iyengar
