On the dusty paths...
These gentle giants proudly walked,
following the ancestral memories,
etched deep within their heart.

Giant feet, paced the land,
with a purpose, a rumbling caravan,
facing the harsh summer heat,
seeking relief, from their thirst.

And they walked, on the dusty path,
towards those treasured routes,
for the river streams & vegetation,
a sanctuary for their weary souls.

Only to encounter, tall concrete walls,
deep pits & tunnels, blocking their route,
and they witness, steel & glass giants,
replacing thick jungles & vast grasslands.

Bewildered, panicked, getting lost,
sometimes waylaid, to their demise,
from traps, tracks and firearms,
out of greed, or from despair.

For, the time had changed,
bringing urban dwellings, with rapid progress,
even their swaying trunks, or trumpet calls,
were getting ignored, falling to deaf ears.

Once a mighty pathway, deep and wide,
shrunken to shadows, they couldn't hide,
like a fractured labyrinth, breaking away,
lost to an expanding greed, of humanity.

And I rued, as I wondered...
Will future generations, ever comprehend,
their remnants whisper, and silent pleadings,
in those forgotten passages,
faded from the nature's trail...
Where once elephants treaded?

© Dr. Manish Rout