Tale of Panchatantra and The Wuhan Virus | A Poem

How leaders felt the pachyderm
In parts but could not see the whole,
And let this deadly Chinese germ
Infect the world from pole to pole.

In Italy the tusk they felt,
And thought it being so smooth to touch,
They could embrace it, so they dealt
With virus with no fear as such.

The British got hold of its tail
And thought it was a friendly pup,
The public saw their leader fail,
To point that his own game was up.

In Spain, touching the rugged skin
They sensed that from something so rough
Some danger could not but creep in,
But failed to meet a challenge tough.

In brushing its thick leg in France
They thought of trunk of a tall tree,
And reasoned they had a good chance
That from danger they will be free.

Brazil mistook the flappy ear
For harmless fan from which the breeze
Could never be a source of fear,
Its leader is still at great ease.

In Sweden they mistook the trunk
To be some kind of harmless hose,
So on dancing and getting drunk
They did not any ban impose.

They mistook its girth for a wall
In Pakistan, to stop its breach
Its leader felt Muezzin’s call
Will keep the virus out of reach.

Korea touched the underside,
Believed it was a drum to test,
They kept the number small who died
And came out of the virus best.

In feeling the critter entire,
The US said it wasn’t bigger
Than its leader, why something dire
Should happen they could not figure.

China brushed organ of the beast
Felt its potential erotic,
Invited world to a big feast
Of an animal exotic.

Having first thought of the fable,
Knowing the full reality
The leader of India was able
To grasp its true lethality.

He could see the wood for the trees-
The elephant as dragon’s ploy
To bring the world down on its knees,
And greater global power enjoy.