The Dove And The Beast

The mother dove was full of joy at the birth of her child. As days passed by she cuddled him with affection and fed him with the best that she could provide.

One day, a vulture pounced on the baby dove and snatched him away. The mother dove tried her best to keep pace but the all too powerful flight of the vulture was too much for her. As the baby dove was struggling in the mighty talons, a stone was hurled at the vulture and the baby dove fell on the ground near a cave. A hand appeared from the cave and dragged the baby dove in. The mother dove began circling the cave hoping that her son would come out but to no avail. Her reluctance to venture in was due to an old legend that she knew.

There was a beast who used to run havoc in the jungle causing troubles to all. So, the animals put a curse which made him blind if he stepped out during the day. This curse confined the beast to the cave when the sun shined and the night became his only friend.

Days passed into weeks and the mother dove would patiently sit near the cave hoping for a miracle. Finally her clan convinced her to move on with the beautiful memories of her child. Then one morning a dove came flying to their abode. The mother dove recognized her beloved son instantly. Joyous tears started flowing from her eyes.

He told her that when he fell on the ground, he was badly wounded. During these days of pain, the beast cared and nurtured him, gave him the nourishment that would make him strong. Slowly, he felt better and even his wings developed. The beast then bid him farewell as he had become well and was ready to fly.

The next morning the doves entered the cave to give their thanks. They urged the beast to step outside. As the sun shone on his face he could see all with his wide open eyes. Years of anguish had disappeared and his happiness was unbounded. One good deed of his broke the lifelong curse.

In The Jungle

They warned us of the lurking dangers inside the jungle but our curiosity had the better of us. We swerved of our usual route and ventured inside. We did have a sense of fear inside our hearts but our minds were courageous.  

The light became dimmer as we treaded along and there was a distinct smell that engulfed us. As we advanced, insects of varying size and color were whistling their tunes in complete harmony. We never knew these tiny beings could create such beautiful music that would resonate throughout the jungle.

As we were enjoying the aural wonders, our breath was taken away by a royal creature we had only seen on television or books. Its black and orange stripes were so vibrant that the jungle didn’t look dark anymore. Our feet halted as he took its majestic steps. And for once in our life, we weren’t afraid but were in full admiration of what we were seeing. He took an innocuous look at us and then disappeared in the vagueness of the wild.

As we were recovering from this magnificent sight, we felt a push from behind. To our amazement, we found a baby elephant circling around us. We had never expected to see such an adorable animal in the midst of the jungle. As we started to mingle with it, we heard shuddering noises approaching us. We quickly realized that it was the mother being overprotective of its child. We too decided to leave as we started to think of our own worrying mothers.

As we were heading back home, we looked behind to catch a last glimpse of this marvelous place. And we promised each other that we will be back to renew our adventure. 

The Unsatiated Wolf

The wolf devours but unsatisfied

The dark yellow eyes preys for more

Resilient in its quest to be fed

Rummaging across the land for creatures within

Still savage in its pursuit

Consuming all with its ravenous gut

But all that chasing has aged him soon

No more the vicious predator he once was

Looking back with his old frail eyes

All that hunting was not suffice

As he still remains hungry and unsatisfied

(This poem is a metaphor for man's unending hunting for life's pleasures)