An Unknown Citizen Poem by Ravi Panamanna

When I was born
My name had appeared in a Municipal register.
When I was dead
Then also I had appeared in a register.

And during my life time
My name appeared in a few more registers-
As a house tax payee,
As a professional tax payee,
As an income tax payee.

And I was wedded to a few numbers-
As a gas consumer,
As an electricity consumer,
As a consumer of municipal water supply,
As the owner of a house,
As a bank account holder,
As a credit and debit account holder,
As a staff of an institution.

And I owned a few numbers-
I had a scooter,
I had a car,
I had a mobile and telephone.

And I unfailingly remembered certain dates-
On which my gas was due,
On which my electric bill was due,
On which my son’s school fee was due.

If I failed to remember these dates,
The board would take away the fuse,
The water supply would be gone,
The kitchen would invariably run on kerosene.

And I always remembered a few figures-
My running basic pay,
The corresponding DA
And all other perquisites.

And I always got by heart certain things-
Those circulars relating to my LFC*,
Those rules governing Medical Reimbursement,
Those circulars relating to various loans.

And a few more things too-
The annual holiday list,
My leave account,
My personal dues.

And I hoped to forget certain dates-
Vishu*, Onam* and other festivals.
They brought me an empty purse,
They brought me unpleasant memories.

That was my natural, little world,
Very much like our own spheres.
And when I died,
A few lines appeared in the obituary column-

That gave my right age,
The names of my sons and daughters,
Their status in life and something more,
An account of my sons-in law and their whereabouts.

And to ashes I reduced,
The waters of Ganges received me at Hardwar.
And the rushing flow swallowed me
Leaving no traces of my past and present.
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LFC*.. Leave fare concession
Vishu*, Onam*- The festivals of Kerala