My Childhood ' Ramayan' Poem by samyak jain

my village
of
modest appearance,
lush greenery girdle,
people in hundreds
cattle in thosands
came alive
every March
the season of the Ramayana,
the simple story of brotherly love,
paternal duality,
of sacrifice, of forest,
evils, deceit, greed
and demons,
monkeys and monkey god
Hanuman,
fights,
good over evil
and
ultimate message
truth prevails.

huddled
we sat, listened, drowsed
nudged, woken up again.

year after year
it was staged,
on the death of Ravana,
the catharsis was complete
year after year.

then the television came,
there was demand for female Seeta,
handsome Ram
and rugged looking
persons as demons,

many candidates for Ram
none for Ravana,

after few years
village
divided into
groups sat before the tvs

none to go to the village square,

the drum beaters forlorn beats
say it all.