How Green Was My Valley

There were trees and bushes; deer and snakes; mongoose and squirrels; woodpeckers and kingfishers.

Today, there is only cement and mortar; dust and noise; destruction and construction.

I lament the day I discovered this rich greenery in my backyard, for it means losing it to growing human needs for space. There is room for a mall, a petrol bunk, a commercial complex, a five-star hotel. But for greenery and nature, there is none. We are growing, and the mark of growth is more high rises, bigger vehicles, more greed.

Gone today are the varied bird sounds that I had grown to love and recognise. The treepie, the flycatcher, the woodpecker, the kingfisher - they cannot bear the sound of the crane and the road-roller as the demons destroy their habitat. Of the snake, I have no news. Even a pig cannot stay here, even if she is pregnant. The deer? I hope they are safe.

My only hope, that maybe, when all this stops and the dust settles, the birds at least will return.

I fear they may like to forget this nightmare and never return.