A distressed Slug one day, prayed aloud to Mother,
you’ve left me less blessed, than my Snail brother.
A lovely shell to show off, a home he takes along,
helping him hide at will, a shelter that’s so strong.
No harm can come to him, the shell keeps all away,
but look at poor naked me, I have to hide all day.
I beg of you oh Mother, please let me have a shell,
then I can crawl at will, and see the world as well.
Mother smiled gently, and spoke with words warm,
you too are equally dear to me, gifted a unique form.
You have a sleek body, to crawl wherever you want,
nooks and crannies of earth, the choicest food haunt.
Your body makes slime so thick, no beak can ever grip,
the foul taste that it has, gives most tongues the slip.
Every child of mine I make, with due reason and care,
I cannot give you a load, you are not meant to bear.
But Slug was resolute, and continued hassling Mother,
and on it went for days, till she had no choice other.
And when one fine dawn, Slug woke up from a dream,
there it was on his back, a shell with a radiant gleam.
His joy now knew no bounds, eager to show off his gift,
he wanted to crawl outside, but his foot he couldn’t lift.
It weighed a ton on him, his slime too now quite less,
an effort it took to move, each step was slow progress.
Soon he found that now, no longer could twist and turn,
not slip beneath rocks for food, that was a big concern.
Smart birds did not peck him, no longer did they attack,
just picked up by the shell, threw him on rocks to crack.
Weary shattered dazed, to Mother his self he crawled,
She caressed him and lo, now no longer was he mauled.
Despite the shell now gone, yet he felt safe and snug,
praised be the wisdom of Mother, to be born as a Slug!
– Narendra Nayak © 2019
What a lovely, sweet poem to love the shell you are born (or not born) with. A shell or protection can be slime, or kerotin, wit or wisdom.
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Wow, Pat, amazing footnote that! Thank you for reading and those lovely words! 🙂
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Glad you liked them. Happy New Year.
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Wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year too! 🙏🏻🙂
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Wow! I don’t know if the pictures are better or your words N. Hmm…i think both deserve an equal applause 👏👏. Your words convey such a profound message!
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Thank you, thank you, R; delighted that you enjoyed it! 🙏🏻🙂
These were clicked last Sunday in Aarey and I wrote up this “plot” in my head on Monday during my morning walk; been carrying it around since. Finally, decided to keep work aside today and articulate it. 😄
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👍🏻👌
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Fascinating little creatures. Great poem!
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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As my own mother used to say to me, “Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” Thank goodness the slug had an understanding and forgiving mother!
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Yes, Ma’am; wise words! 🙂
The Mother is always understanding, but we do not know how long she will continue to forgive – the way we treat her and her other children!
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Photos and words married together well,!
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Thank you so much, Ma’am! 🙏🏻🙂
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A very interesting story! Reminds me of Aesop’s Fables!
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Thank you, Sir! I’m happy that you liked it so.
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You are welcome!
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Such a great story! Once again you have used the nature to convey learnings apt for the humans too.
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Thanks a lot, Pallavi; I’m delighted that you enjoyed reading it. 🙏🏻🙂
Mother is the best teacher – and if only we would pause, listen and comprehend, the world will be a much better place…
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So true!
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Loved reading this. Great message
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Thank you so much! 🙏🏻🙂
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Somehow there’s always something unique about everyone. That’s what the gift is
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Well put, Swati! 👍🏼🙂
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The slugs journey reminds me of our own life ! Enchanting photographs!
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Thank you so much, Suni! 🙏🏻🙂
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You’re welcome! 😊 🙏
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This is so lovely! A lesson to the world. Everyone comes with their unique gifts and abilities. And those pictures are mindblowing.
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Thank you so very much, Neelanjana! 🙏🏻🙂
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You created another beautiful poem, Narendra, full of wisdom and feeling, and a good lesson for all of us.
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Thank you so much, Tanja; I’m delighted that you enjoyed it!
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Reblogged this on johncoyote and commented:
Wonderful poetry by a talented writer.
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I enjoyed the words and photo. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you so much, Sir, for your kind words of appreciation, and, once again, for reblogging my poetry! 🙏🏻🙂
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You are welcome Narendra. I enjoyed your work.
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🙏🏻🙂
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A lovely poem 🙂 a message conveyed – a learning lesson. ‘Life isn’t always greener on the other side.’ Tis better to be thankful and practice acceptance – to like oneself leaves less chance for disappointment.
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That’s a nice footnote. Thank you so much, Ma’am! I’m pleased that you enjoyed reading it. 🙂
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