Two Little Ones Poem by Ullas R Koya

[Original: RanduKunjungal by R. Venugopal (Malayalam)
Translation by Ullas R. Koya]

The day before yesterday's
day before yesterday,

The earthmovers moved
the earth from the hills.
Thousand little ones
moved thousand long miles.
In deep sleep they were,
with closed eyeless eyes.


The morning of today,

The clock struck six,
even at Appu's dislike.
Mom seized the blanket silk,
regardless of Appu's dislike.
Ate iddly sans hunger.
Drank milk sans thirst.
Sat sleeping on the cushion,
Woke weeping, mom's pinch.
Wore socks in due tension,
with single shoe, made a flinch.
Beneath the courtyard stairs,
Mom found the second shoe.
Wearing that one too,
he sat waiting by the stairs.
Set for grade-1 conference,
sat Appu waiting the van.
Tried pulling off the shoes,
Mom's spank gave pain.
The screeching van's wheels,
Appu setoff with eyes taint.


Today, way to school,

With Appu and friends,
crowded was the van.
On the running glimpses
behind the window pane,
little Appu's tears
shimmered like drops of rain.
Made a trial again
to remove the shoe.
The driver's bane,
Appu was stunned by the Boo.
His friends laughed,
He sat alone.
They sung, hummed, they laughed.
Appu did none, He sat alone.
The angel's lullaby he heard
and grabbed the sleep,
broken at six at home.


Today, school gate,

The van was emptied,
a single bag on top.
Sleeping was Appu inside,
the driver cried, 'Its your stop!
Appu sat sleeping,
sleeping and sleeping.
Fell into the driver's hand
upon the doors opening.
Like the color of some dream,
Appu's little lips had blue, drool, foam.
Appu's little cute lips
had blue, had drool, had foam.
The driver heaved him in haste,
Ran to the school
in speed we can never assume.


Today, school veranda,

Today, for Appu a holiday.
Now on, each and every day.
Today, for Appu a holiday.
Now on, each and every day.
Amongst the crowd,
Appu is sleeping loud.
Sleeping, sleeping and sleeping.
Matron removes his shoe.
From it to the floor,
falls another little one.
A little viper who,
regardless of whose will,
was born with venom,
as a hereditary trait.

Today, for the viper a holiday.
Now on, each and every day.
Today, for the viper a holiday.
Now on, each and every day.

Above, both the little ones,
white clouds, like rabbit kits,
stood for a while
and then took a sway.