R SAKTHI RENGASAMY -
VE ROAD & SHANMUGAPURAM Shunmuga Puram Thoothukudi Tamil Nadu
A Sparrow in the Dark
Summer in Chennai was a experience in itself. It is known for its sweltering heat which would make even the birds fain in flight.It was at the end of such a blazing day late in the evening on my way home I stopped near the Nandanam signal to attend a call on my mobile.The road I was standing was a little dark probably due to a power cut. Just as I finished my call and was about to leave, I heard the chirp of a bird, it sounded odd since neither the situation, location nor the time warranted the beautiful language of the birds. I looked in the direction of the bird call. On the pavement was a cardboard box with some shredded paper bulging out of it. Then again I heard the chirp and a lorry came to halt a few feet behind me and in the glow of its headlight I saw a sparrow with light brown wings and lovely soft white feathers on its belly, beautiful eyes trying to frree itself from the swirls of shredded paper. It was a tiny bird so small that it would have fit into the palm of my little daughter. Probably the bird had got into the box to take some paper to build its home and got stuck in the shreds of human stupidity in the form of paper.I freed that little winged creature of God from its shroud of misery. The moment it was free from its entanglement ,much to my alarm the bird sat on the pavement in bewilderment probably unable to see in the darkness.It was caught in a situation the good lord had not designed it to function.I also wondered if this sparrow in the dark would live to see the morning sunrise, maybe a cat or a stray dog would soon swoop on it and make the little bird its dinner. Luckily the power to the street lights got restored and the fluorescent lamp on the post glowED in glory .The little sparrow gave a chirp of thanks to God almighty (or was it to me?) and flew towards the source of the light at the top of the post.I sped home happy that the sparrow has survived another hurdle in its fight to survival in the Chennai city.
A Sparrow in the Dark
Summer in Chennai was a experience in itself. It is known for its sweltering heat which would make even the birds fain in flight.It was at the end of such a blazing day late in the evening on my way home I stopped near the Nandanam signal to attend a call on my mobile.The road I was standing was a little dark probably due to a power cut. Just as I finished my call and was about to leave, I heard the chirp of a bird, it sounded odd since neither the situation, location nor the time warranted the beautiful language of the birds. I looked in the direction of the bird call. On the pavement was a cardboard box with some shredded paper bulging out of it. Then again I heard the chirp and a lorry came to halt a few feet behind me and in the glow of its headlight I saw a sparrow with light brown wings and lovely soft white feathers on its belly, beautiful eyes trying to frree itself from the swirls of shredded paper. It was a tiny bird so small that it would have fit into the palm of my little daughter. Probably the bird had got into the box to take some paper to build its home and got stuck in the shreds of human stupidity in the form of paper.I freed that little winged creature of God from its shroud of misery. The moment it was free from its entanglement ,much to my alarm the bird sat on the pavement in bewilderment probably unable to see in the darkness.It was caught in a situation the good lord had not designed it to function.I also wondered if this sparrow in the dark would live to see the morning sunrise, maybe a cat or a stray dog would soon swoop on it and make the little bird its dinner. Luckily the power to the street lights got restored and the fluorescent lamp on the post glowED in glory .The little sparrow gave a chirp of thanks to God almighty (or was it to me?) and flew towards the source of the light at the top of the post.I sped home happy that the sparrow has survived another hurdle in its fight to survival in the Chennai city.
