The Blissful Periyar Lake

THE BLISSFUL PERIYAR LAKE

The preening cormorant on a dead tree-trunk
Perhaps thought to get a mouthful of fish;
It took flight suddenly and dived in

The Periyar Lake was enveloped in a mist
That Thursday on May 12th, on my first visit,
As our Tour-boat chugged its way down its length

Past a herd of elephants and a clutch of herons,
A group of deer philosophically gazing back,
And some bison too, drinking water

When in a flash dived in the bird,
And we all oohed and aahed,
To see it emerging with a fish in its beak

Back to its perch it went and fluttered its wings,
Stretched its long, lissome neck and dropped the fish
On to the tree stump on which it stood

As we passed it by, we saw it begin
To tear at its prey, now lifeless -
The corm looked at us and preened again

And then we had gone past.


©Taher Kagalwala