Natural Order

Butterfly hovered oe'r the lotus1 white2,
“Flower dear, open your heart; that I may
drink my fill of its nectar, sweet and light.”
“I will, but of return favour make Yea,

Saffron3 treasures spread, to blooms far and wide.”
She fluttered by, true to her solemn vow;
Blossoms swelled to fruit, seeds cocooned inside.
Hesitant, Seed asked of the Earth below,

“Give me warm embrace, please let me inside.
Protect me, nourish me, till I come out.
Birds, insects - from predators I will hide."
Trembling, the seed fell and wriggled about.

"Of course, child; why should you this welcome doubt?"
She cleaved and encased in a moist warm womb.
“I ask only that, when leaves and roots sprout,
Hold me tight, so pouring rain will not doom.”

Seedling thrust out two leaves of timid green4,
Beseeching, "Sun, give me warm sustenance."
Said he, “Energy please store, deep within,
for you or others - nurturing viands”

Roots sought water, from the river so far,
longer and thinner, they lost hope of aid,
Playful Child poured some from her earthen jar.5
Trilled she,"Just let me rest in your cool shade."

The tree burgeoned tall, Man chanced by one day,
whistling a tune of prosperity fine,
ripe crown of ruddy bounty made him say,
"Who is to stop me from making this mine?"

Tucked up his dhoti

a long length of cloth wound around the legs, a nether-garment

, climbing skills displayed;
Stripping it of fruit, casts a greedy glance
at majestic trunk, boughs in prayer splayed.
Against ruthless axe, it never had chance.

“Why?” cried out Motherland6 in anguish keen
“We all gave and took in equal measure,
“Twas law unspoken, a justice unseen,
disturbed by your selfish thoughts of pleasure.

Beware, Man; your doom - speedily beckoned,
shortly waits. Do, as you would be done by.
If by this rule you will not be reckoned -
Your world razed, your heart empty you’ll espy."


40 lines: Quatrains in pentameter with abab rhyming pattern.
Written for "Project Write World" 

Prompt: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Dhoti: Only this is explained as popnote above, because I thought the need to understand was required whilst reading, all the rest could be mentioned in footnotes, they were subtle additions to comprehension.

Footnotes
1  India's national flower
2  one of three colours of national flag
3  another colour in the Indian tricolour
4  the last component of the tricoloured national flag
5  It often happens in rural India that one has to fetch water from a source (river/lake) miles away. Water is precious and is usually not 'wasted' on wayside plants.
6  Our country is known colloquially as Bharat Mata, or Mother India. 80% of India is rural, but farms and forests are being ruthlessly razed in the name of 'progress'.