We thank all Indians for their gracious hospitality
We know we have caused a lot of pain and grief
But as a soldier in a battle, either we kill or get killed
To war weary like us, there is no relief

Don’t get us wrong, we feel your pain
For doing our job, we are not to be blamed
Mission for all species is to propagate
For following natural order, we remain unashamed

Plight of poor tugs at our conscience
But we can’t become mushy or sentimental
Our job is to infect hosts, rich or poor
Our mission is very basic, simple & elemental

Last year you had us in disbelief
While the West was on 5-alarm fire,
you surprisingly managed to keep us in check
Even though you let economy go haywire

Your PM went for symbolism over substance
He said the “war would be won in 21 days”
Implementation of WHO guidelines was ham handed
Your 28 States went their own merry ways

Boosterism extended beyond the prime minister
Your RBI *chief boasted “India had beaten Covid”
We would have told him not so fast our friend
We can’t be wished away, to be totally candid
(* RBI Reserve Bank of India similar to the Federal Reserve Bank in the US)

We know how Bollywood and cricket unite the
Indians of all color, creed, race, and religion
No wonder, RBI chief said of the virus’s curve-
“India had managed to Bend it Like Beckham!”

Even your experts – real and armchair kind
Debated theories to explain the low casualties
Youthful population, warm climate, natural resiliency…
Explanations offered were devoid of realities

Let us tell you ……
You succeeded due to complete lockdown
Enforcement was serious and compelling
Punishment for violation was harsh
Hence populace was quite docile and willing

This time it is different, isn’t it?
This is what we had expected last year
You did not listen to the authorities,
acting cavalier without much fear

Believing in your own feel good rhetoric
You threw all caution to the wind
You let your guard down; public health
measures, you were in a rush to rescind

Super spreader events including religious mela,
election rallies, farmer protests – in crowded setting
are all we needed to go on the offensive
Our response to your follies is totally befitting

We are following the path nature laid out for us
Mutating and thriving in the cauldron of humanity
We are grateful to you all for what you did for us
We are open book, truth talking, devoid of duplicity

Thanks to you, we got a new lease on life
You must be sensing a “spring” in our spikes!
What more can we ask from 1.4 B potential hosts?
You all are sitting ducks for our deadly strikes

We are not calling it quits, not just yet
We know that you know about the 3^rd wave
You just won’t be able to vaccinate enough people
and won’t get them to rightfully behave

Science is our mortal enemy; weapons being
sound public health measures and vaccine
We take consolation in knowing not all of
you will follow the scientific doctrine

For now, you seem to have gotten an upper hand
To see that happen breaks our spikey heart
In it for the long run, may lose a battle or two
but ultimate victory you just can’t thwart

The force is with us!

Until we meet again
Good bye
Namaskar – Phir milenge,
Khuda hafiz,
Sat Sri akaal,
Pinner santhikalam,
Hruvatha kalustanu.