ONCE UPON A TIME THIS DAY WAS WITH US

A poem in Tamil by Deebachelvan, titled
‘MUNBORU KAALATHIL INDHA NAAL ENGALIDAMIRUNDHADHU
Translated into English by Latha Ramakrishnan

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In the dry branches of
the tree where no bird comes to sit
fruits would sprout and turn ripe
_ So we hoped.
Mother, did you see those birds anywhere?
In the courtyard that keeps falling down
on our heads
there are no sticks now.
This year
smashed our house and took it away
in wagons
and also kept on unfolding, one by one
nothing but fear-filled days.
Except for a mere one or two sticks
nothing remained.

In our village forgotten by birds
In our city where cycles were
broken and turned paralyzed
For serving a smile
For coming together and
having a cup of wine
Oh Mother, who at all is there?
In your hands, the tea-cups
which bring the evening from yonder
are not to be seen
And in the bus
which goes through
the village of no return
and city of no halt
I’m going to travel
Tomorrow.

This day brings back to mind
just the sweet days alone of last year
The night bursting
would be over in a short while.
Someone or other come and go
Something and all lie in front of me.
In this year which has ended
we have suffered a heavy loss.
Speechless my cycle wanders
in streets and lanes
that my houses searches for
Once upon a time This Day
was with us.

Will they give back to us -
The birds
the barren tree, our house beneath it?
With the barren tree burning
and turning into ashes
the birds lie buried deep down.
In the countryside with houses dissolved
no landmarks remain.
I keep asking for the Smile and words that were
with me, on this day
Once upon a time.
In the great land the New Year
is brought along past midnight.
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01.01.2010( Peru Nilam)