Times are changing
the cooker is whistling
is it the new born rice grains screaming
the lady of the house noting
the time to end her cooking
gone are the days
when the proverb worked
to see if the rice had cooked
gone are the days
when she had to feel
one grain of rice in hand
to judge if her work was done
when the time was saved
the proverb went a waste
[ a tamil proverb - oru paanai sootriku oru soru padam]
we all share same proverbs...borne of age old human wisdom irrespective of county or state...we have in telugu too!
True, days are gone, when they used to take one rice and press to find whether the entire pot of rice is cooked or not. With the advancement of gadgets, the woman of the house has more time to look into other routines, but at the same time, her health has gone down very much. She gets back pain even in her young age as she is not accustomed to bend her body or kneel down to do odd jobs, which were more like exercises to her body earlier, which she is missing now due to these gadgets.
A wise catch well utilised...but ofcourse a nice write yours and read mine....thank you
Samanyan, i don't know what the [proverb means, please enlighten me. however, change is inevitable. women are no longer confined to kithcen. just like other gadgets which have affected lifestyles and some which are a boon to a homemaker. its up to us how we use them, to serve us or to take over our lives. life indeeed was simple decades ago. Mamta
Enjoyed the poem but the content was a bit baffling... if you have time give the proverb in English so I can get the full meaning... Regards Alf
Yes sir, the households to which the proverb is applicable, are not able to afford even 'oru panai soru' sir! Thats a sad change! [I am ignoring the 1 rupee rice scheme.]
it was nice to read 10+ and i just loved the opening lines in ur poem 'Times are changing the cooker is whistling is it the new born rice grains screaming........ really wonderfull: o) ......keep up the good work
At the risk of using a well worn cliche..change is inevitable...so while the proverb may still be meaningful, it needs modification to suit the new world gizmos...nice write
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
This is fascinating glimpse of another culture (since it is not my own, of course) . And rice is such a staple in other cultures; I do love it, and could willingly embrace the cuisine of India and Thailand. This little proverb-poem is like a tidbit of desert after the meal; a reminder that humans infuse their spirit into every endeavor, to color it with their own individual meaning. And food itself is heavily laden with so many symbolic meanings..(smile)