POEM: Chinar
By: Rayees Ahmad Kumar
Platinus Oriantalis, thy Botanical name
State tree, having cool shade and royal touch
Leaves- alternatively borne
Maple-like, 5-7 lobed on the stem
Greyish bark, long stalk,
Monoecious unisexual flowers
Historically significant of Kashmir’s landscape
Adored by Mughal Emperors
Akbar, Jahangir and Aurangzeb
Char-Chinar in the midst of Dal Lake
Jahangir erected on the lovely island
The magnificent tree, sacred to Hindus too
‘Bhawani’ means a goddess
Found in famous mosques and shrines too
Its changing colours, from deep green
In Spring-Summer to blazing red in Autumn
Honoured by Autumn more than others
The rustling sound of golden leaves
Adds to the beauty of surroundings
Greyish bark equipped with medicinal properties
Used for dysentery and diarrhoea treatment
Fresh leaves too for conjunctivitis
The fallen-off and dry leaves
For charcoal making
Used for warmth in winters
Poets, litterateurs and writers
Composed odes and essays for it
Its enchanting beauty and morphology
During Autumn in valley, attracts
People from all corners of globe
It’s diminishing number, if left
Unchecked, may cause its extinction
