Two Leaves On a Stump

Two Leaves On A Stump (A tribute to Indira Gandhi’s leadership and her valiant struggle against the fascists written a few months after her defeat in the election) “The deeper I reach The higher I rise, Hark the birds How they sing in my arms” “We are men of the surface We will be kings Down with the despotic tree, Is there no law in the land?” “The deeper I reach The higher I rise. Hark the birds How they sing and the cows They worship my shade.” “Chhi,the noise and the droppings, Besides they trample and peck at us. Look at our flowers Bigger,brighter than hers. We are men of the surface We will be kings. Is there no law in the land? Can one tree smother the rest? Look for the Achille’s heel, Down with the despotic tree. A resounding crash, What a pitiable sight, The fall was as great as the height And the men of the surface for almost a month They danced madly around in joy; The cows and the birds joining In the general rejoicing; What deception they cried So tall and so weak We nearly died. Two leaves on a stump Freshly sprouted,shaped like a ‘V’, Still singing,still sighing, “The deeper we reach The higher we rise,” And some among men Whose roots went a bit deeper Half drunk with the victory they had won Half frightened of what they had done.