Waterfall

WATERFALLtc "WATERFALL"

Dr. R. R. Menon

There’s no adventure like the waterfall’s.

Born and brought up on the snowy hills
that fill the ace photographer’s stills,
facing all the while the vast, clear sky
getting off cloudy, knowing not why,
she needs to search below on earth
what frequent mood-changes are worth.
The river flowing down suddenly faces
a fall.  It had majestically climbed down
from a height a-glow with rippling graces
to spread the blessing of life and trace
the cause of gloom, the search transforms
itself as a mission of charity, and charms
a whole low-lying, parched world with water
as Darwinians rush the weak to the slaughter.

It yearns now to descend to lower valleys
where tear-drained eyes from crowded alleys
anxiously see the dams intent on release
of water for the rich on their higher perches,
checkmating flows to the lower reaches.
The water-fall remains beautiful, no matter
whether flowing free or is locked up later.
Unflagging in its nerve it discovers the root-
cause, avarice, but still goes on with zest
on its quest-turned mission on any route,
natural or directed, with no thought of rest.
Man does his worst to pollute, to hijack
a gift of help on a wealth-creation track,
forgetting the grandeur and the grace
of a waterfall rushing on a self-giving race.