A Donkey
and
A Buffalo
parade before the sheep
staking claim
to rule
Says the buffalo,
Brothers and friends
I’m one of you
You’ve given me a chance
Give me one more
I’ll make sure
we sheep
roar like lions
The donkey shuffles,
as uncomfortable
as it could ever be
Calls the fallacy
of the Buffalo
as the undeniable truth
Forgets its lines
Forgets
that it’s just a
Donkey
The buffalo guffaws
Silly donkey,
How dare you?
Trying to be a lion
Do you even have
A fifty-six inch
chest?
The donkey bristles
My great-grandpa was a lion
My grandma was a lion
My pa,
God rest his soul
was a lion
Stupid buffalo
I’ll lead the sheep
It’s my destiny
Listen Donkey,
I’ve introduced
many schemes
Made the sheep
feel lions’ pride
Idiotic ass
Just because
your forefathers claimed
to be lions
Wouldn’t change
your genes
Useless buffalo,
Your history is
Painted with sheep blood
How dare you
claim to be
One of them?
Blood in my history
Blood money in yours
Don’t you know that
Money talks?
Naïve donkey
Hung up on
Escape velocity
of the untouchable sheep!
Blind stubborn buffalo
Harping on your
flopped ideas
and fundamentalism!
Fudging GDP
and economic growth
Money’s still black
like the insides
of your saffron coated heart
Yet here you are
thumping your fifty-six inch chest
to a tune
that isn’t the truth!
The sheep bleat
in characteristic chorus
Is our fate so pitiful?
Reduced to vote for
A donkey
or
A buffalo,
self-proclaimed
saviors of sheep
surrounded by hyenas,
to lead us?
Ideals be damned!
Issues be damned!
Sheep be damned!
When did it become
a Sophie’s choice?
All we could is
bleat and be civil
Accept the black ink and
select the
Lesser of two EVILS!
L.E.R.T 
Great poem reflecting the times
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The silence of the lambs gives strength to the wolves.
Awesome poem, Varad. Superb.
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An interesting poem. You brought out the contrast between brute strength and stupidity really well. I guess this was more aligned to the Indian political scene but enjoyable all the same.
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A well rhymed rant, this one and a wonderful take on the prompt, Varad! I liked the way you alluded to the current political situation!!
Here’s my Day 2 post for #Barathon.
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Thank you, Esha. I couldn’t not write about what’s happening out here.
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2nd day into the challenge, I could see that Varad, the poet is emerging!
Kudos to you for this brilliant creation. I have a couple of questions. Do the sheep have any choice other than buffalo or the donkey. Even if a new choice props up will it not be the case of inviting the unknown daemon?
Here is my #Day2 post…
https://canvaswithrainbow.com/lesser-of-two-evils/
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The answer lies with the sheep right? The problem is once a sheep steps up to rule it becomes a buffalo, or a donkey, or a wolf. That’s the unfortunate reality. Thanks for the very kind words, Anagha. 🙂
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It took me about two stanzas to get there but this is so brilliantly put. 2019 will be the year of reckoning.
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Unfortunately, it’s still gonna be the buffalo or the donkey, right? Sad state of affairs. Thank you for the kind comment, Obsessivemom 🙏
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Brilliant. Today before you declared the 56 inch chest verse, I could guess whom you were referring to. Thank God I could understand your poetry today. I am happy with myself. This one was excellent, Varad. Indeed we are the sheep, who are really confused whom to choose.
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Thanks for the comment, Aesha. Unfortunately, we are the sheep blindly following a buffalo or a donkey.
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So very aptly put. Congratulations for coming up with this rhyming rant of the poor herd of sheep. (Loved the 56inch chest reference though)
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Thank you, Anupriya. Glad you liked it and got the reference. It’s been all over the media like mad and I just had to use it.
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That was great. I loved how you got Sophie’s Choice into it and shared the fallacies of our system so well.
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Thank you, Parul. It’s just not our system that has failed. We humans fall into just two categories – the controllers and the controlled. This has been the truth from time immemorial. Unfortunately for us, the controllers wield far more control over the other sort. All we do is dutifully follow, just like sheep.
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This brings our current political situation to the fore so eloquently. A fab take on the prompt!!
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Thank you, Shilpa. Glad you liked it.
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wow what a way to express this scenario, you are awesome, layman’s ordeal
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Thank you, Pragun. I’m glad it resonated with you
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I was trying to picture 2 particular political leaders in my head. I am not going to name them here though.
Nice read
#Barathon Day 2: Lesser of the Two Evils
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I think you got them right, DeeDee.
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One of my personal faves from you, Varad! The joke sadly is on the people. Always! I loved the Donkey and Buffalo reference to our current Indian political leaders and this one is a contemporary political fable. Sign of the current times. You must get into writing seriously…be it screenplays, political satires, thriller novels…the sky is the limit. Great going!
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Thank you for your very kind words, Tina. This one has been bubbling inside for a while and the prompt was just apt for it to come bursting out. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
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Excellent poem on today’s political scenario. Loved your take on the prompt.
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Thank you kindly 🙂
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This one’s brilliant for sure. How well you have brought out the fate of ordinary citizens in their choice of a Buffalo or donkey. I’m amazed by your range of writing.
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Thank you, Sonia 🙂 I’m glad that this resonated with you.
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Brilliant. Indeed we poor sheep have really no choice. And considering the DNA of all politicians, it seems that the third (If any) won’t be any better.
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In all fairness, third might be a muffler clad monkey 😛
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Oh no ! Surely we sheep aren’t this doomed ?
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Wow Varad, You are indeed versatile. I thought yesterday’s poem was just a passing fancy on your part. It is good to see you take to poetry like this. And your poems I must say are meaningful. Short sentences that put together tell a story. Keep it up. Here is my link for today’s post.
http://www.jaispoetryblog.com/2018/07/lesser-of-two-evils-commander-maritz.html
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Thank you, Jai. I’m glad you liked this one
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Great! Indeed we are all bakras. Poor us!
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Unfortunate reality 😦
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love reading the poem, beautiful
#Barathon 2018
http://simizworld.com/clay-pot-cooking/
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Thank you 🙂
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Omg varad.. Incredibly genius. How u started and how u ended. I never could make out. Initially i thought a new aesop’s Fables, and wow, u made us all think. Love this new avatar of yours. Wednesday morning i wake up to wisdom.
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Thank you for your very kind words, Deepa. It’s truly humbling.
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Wonderfully rhymed rant, this!! Your angst-filled poetry echoes the frustration of the nation! Great title and post for The prompt ‘Two’.
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Thank you, Ashwini. A blogger’s rant is akin to a sheep’s bleat. 😦
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