Passing by the "Waste Land" II

Passing by the "Waste Land"(poem)II

Eliot speaks about rats
He depicts them as pets
He must be fond of rats
Otherwise he might not have chatted.

" A rat crept softly through the vegetation
Dragging its slimy belly on the bank
While I was fishing in the dull canal
On a winter evening round behind the gashouse…"
"Rattled by the rat's foot only, year to year
But from my back from time to time I hear " etc.

I have read about rats in poetry
The best in the "Piped Piper of Hamelin"
In order that people could stay in health and harmony
The piper led rats to death and destruction

I heard about some rats
Running away from a sinking ship wreck
To reach a safe haven or nest
Forgetting all they have left.

Over times some rats become heavier
Some become wealthier
Some may have power here and there
But still, rats are rats for ever.

Can a land be free of rat?
It's a necessary pest
It has survived millions of years
It may still do so in the future.

Dr Maung Maung Nyo
Original 10.9.2007