The Pond

Spreading fields greenish yellow
As far as the eye can follow
Stalks grain laden
Needing a little more sunshine
A Pond by the side
Its waters deep and wide.

Floating weeds the surface cover
Water not allowed to flow over
With fish breeding
Waiting for harvesting
Fish netted in summer
When water gets lower.

Harvesting day like a carnival
Farmhands in water upto waist level
Long rope net firmly held
Moving from one to the other end
A crowd watching this from high up
Eager to see what turns up.

The net slowly brought to shore
Writhing fish could have been more
Fish sorted and weighed
Into iceboxes placed
Contractors now appear
For a good deal to secure.

In some years bountiful catch
For this pilfering must watch
Migratory birds appear
From distant lands in summer
Sitting on a tree stump
Waiting for catch to show up.

Welcome to feathered friends from afar
Waiting out their frozen winter
Bigger than two football fields
Water stored for paddy fields

Water behind high ground
A sluice for flow shaped round
Rains to the brim fill up pond
In summer canal water found
From a big water reservoir
Released for drying agriculture.

By the side a pump house
For sending water to the farm house
The Pond for all a savior
For farmers in the summer
With the gift of water
Two to three crops can gather.

Even with a monsoon poor
The Pond gives hope for sure
Inn a corner of the estate
Brought up to this pristine state
Helping all needing water
This way they do not falter.

With this pond goodwill flows
Kept well letting others grow
Nature is to be worshiped
It is my God someone quipped.


MPP