DESERTED VILLAGE
.....Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lawn,This feature poem was published in print on February
2014 issue of Monsoon JournalDESERTED VILLAGE
By: C. Kamalaharan
Thy sports are fled, and all thy charm withdrawn;
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant hand is seen,
And desolation saddens all thy green...
Returning after a lapse of fifteen years
To my village, where reigned wholesome fare,
Without hindrance whatsoever to nature,
With lush green vegetation all around,
And plenty to suffice for a peaceful living.
Lo and behold! the entire village completely ravaged;
A village where once flowed milk and honey
Is now in wilderness, a scene of utter desolation.
A tensed silence prevailed all over,
As I wandered with mounting apprehension.
No more could be heard the timepieces of nature;
The crowing of roosters and the pealing of bells.
The rattling of landmasters and the grinding of bullock carts.
The whirring of water pumps and the jarring of loud speakers,
And the clattering of the ‘kottu rotti’ eateries.
The only sound heard was the chirping of birds,
The cawing of crows,
The cuckoo of the cuckoos,
The buzzing of flies and bees,
And the barking of stray dogs.
As I wandered along the dusty lanes,
My heart sank at the sights of devastation;
Dilapidated buildings among the dense foliage,
Rows of shops as piles of rubble,
And topless palmyrah palms as erect pillars.
The ‘haves have fled to safe havens,
While the ‘have nots’ remained to languish,
And fend for themselves, doing manual labour.
Only a few retail outlets remained open,
To feed the hapless ‘have nots’.
Arriving tired and weary at the junction,
A one time hive of activity,
A few middle aged rustics puffing cigars,
Mistook me for an outsider,
Held me captive and questioned.
“Who are you?” the harsh tone stunned me!
“Asking me, a native of this place such a question!
Feeling offended, ”Who are you?” I retorted.
“We are natives of this place.”
“Me too, a son of the soil”, I hit back.
“We have not seen you before,” they persisted.
“Was out of the country.”
“What brought you here?” ”Came to see my home.”
“Where is it?” “Over there in the thicket.”
“O.K, you may go but return soon.”
Trudging through the overgrown thicket,
I was taken aback to see strangers in my home.
The same question, ”Who are you?” they demanded.
“This is my home, I came to see it.”
“Your home!, It’s ours now,” a lady lambasted.
“What nonsense are you talking?” I raised my voice.
“Are we talking nonsense?” the lady yelled.
“Yes you are! unlawfully trespassed on my property.”
“We’ll beat you, get lost” the men joined the brawl,
Threatening me, clenching their fists.
Thoroughly shaken and in a state of hopeless despair,
I stood thunderstruct not knowing what to do.
“Why are you waiting?” a man shouted in a fit of rage.
Realising the impossibility of evicting them,
I left my home disheartened, disappointed and disgraced.
By C. Kamalaharan Added on :09 Feb 2014
