The valley-dawn
Is a drastically different one,
Heralded by the bird-songs,
Scattered in the crisp air,
And before being carried away
To the next verdant dale, is
Heard by a restive city-sleeker,
Escaping from the fever of city,
Dreaming of drowning in the sea,
And woken up abruptly,
By the sweet songs dispersing as dulcet notes,
Released by the wind-god, now moving fast,
The disheveled figure staying week-end,
In the rude stone-lodge in the Saal forest,
Red-rimmed, breathing garlic and Champagne,
The pot-bellied and bald V-P of an MNC
Emerges quickly from behind the
Curtained French windows,
Cigarette dangling in stained lips, disorganized,
And gets conquered by the retreating symphony unique,
And the rosy dawn, breaking over the varied scene,
Splashing colours from the summit top,
To the valley floor with its active baby hands,
Moving up and down in furious speed,
And—
The entire scene gets daubed in red-orange,
In few seconds, before his startled eyes,
And inner harmony is restored,
In that vibrant solitude divine.
A succinctly drawn dichotomy between modern day corporate excess ,( incisively characterised by the red-rimmed , pot bellied individual so skilfully pilloried ) and the innate beauty and majesty of the natural world. [ Editorial Note: I find the details , V-P of an MNC somewhat extraneous given that the character is amply described and therefore there is no need for corporate status as well. In any event I would try and avoid acronyms such as V-P and MNC. ]
Thanks Louis for such sharp, detailed, surgical analysis of a poem that contrasts the excesses of consumerist culture and emptiness of a corporate bigwig with the richness of the natural wealth, mostly unobserved. V-P and MNCs are symbols of the might of dollars and complete commodification of social relations abroad and India.
Great write! I enjoyed the irony regarding V-P!
Thanks a lot, Julia.