Claustrophobia Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon

The house I was born
had rooms all fairly large.
not until with my heart torn
I migrated to the great barge
of this gruesome metro
that I realised to my dismay
that I am claustrophobic.

Here in this apartment
which they tell me, is a flat,
the rooms are so small
that, I have a tough time
living in them night and day
for I am claustrophobic!

I just tried to console my grieving heart
with some philosophy on my part
‘the earth such tiny a place,
crowded with men over seven billion
enclosed within the sky's roof so low,
still you're okay out in the open, but once inside
you say you are claustrophobic? '

My stupid heart won't listen
inside the ‘flat' its beats would hasten
as if it's eager to leave my rib-cage;
Is it, too, claustrophobic?