The Call

The call of the forest brings childhood memories,

She comes in forms of animals, birds, rain and winds

To the season of flowers, fruits and mists,

Where nature seems quiet and at ease

My mother taught me signs of nature 

I did not know until the call was delayed

A gentle question - how will people sustain the future?

It seems the acts of humankind are taking over

With unpatterned rainfall, farming and migration are in question

Traditional and oral values run through our blood

The call of Pim Puyul* and the Cuckoo come late

Poor nature suffers landslides, famine and flood.

Climate change speaks loud by delaying calls

Oh, my mother! I realized, not only the eye but also the heart can see

I ask you all, to whom does this earth belong?

The future lies in our action, for what we desire to be. 

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 *“Pim Puyul” used by the poet is a reference to the seasonal bird that serves as a traditional ecological indicator for the Rong (Lepcha) community. Its arrival informs people about the onset of which crops should be grown at the particular time.

About the Author: Yogel Lepcha is a PhD Scholar in the Department of Anthropology at Sikkim University and can be reached at [email protected].

Series Editors: Prof. Kaveri Gill, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, and Dr Jabin T Jacob, Director, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies