Poverty Is Criminal Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon

Poverty is a criminal act
starvation is a bad choice
How can you remain poor
when the world is so rich?

An aboriginal youth
of unsound mind
starving for days
'stole' a loaf of bread

This he did in the open daylight
right before the eyes vigilant
of the shopkeeper, the thief was
caught and manhandled.

Everyone who was present
and all those passed by
took it upon themselves
to teach the thief a lesson.

the 'thief'
already half dead
of starvation, gave up
his worthless life
in no time!

This happened
in god's own country!

(2)
This travesty reminded me
of an episode from my childhood.
One morning, I woke to a ruckus
calling to my father, ‘thief caught! '

A few people from the neighbourhood
were telling him that they had caught
a thief from our coconut grove a li'l away
agitated over their fantastic achievement.

We reached the spot to the sight
of a man tethered to a coconut palm
thoroughly beaten up by one all
surrounded by a crowd jubilant.

A large bunch of ripe coconuts lay
below the tree ‘n shards of an amphora;
apparently, ‘the thief' proceeded to drink
of the toddy, after plucking the nuts,

there he fell asleep on top of the palm
where he was caught by his tormentors.
sinners with heavier hearts cast stones
at lesser ones, to ease them of the graver sins.

Father shouted them to a stop,
asked him to be untied at once
and begged the crowd to disperse;
they did, hesitant and disappointed.

‘The thief' started to leave empty handed
hanging his head in shame,
but father called him back
and handed him the bunch of coconuts.

He had eight children all young,
it is to find money to feed them a meal
that he plucked the nuts,
Father answered our silent questions.

The ‘thief' had a son or a daughter
with each of us as classmates
Father forbade us strictly from speaking
of the incident to anyone.


Notes:
(1) Both the stories narrated here are real life incidents
(2) god's own country: (the use of small letters is deliberate) the name by which the government of Kerala wants it to be known in the world tourism market. Those who attacked the poor man were arrested by the police and charged with homicide. But they bribed the witnesses (paltry sums, just as much as USD 50 to USD 100) to get acquitted in the court.
3) toddy: the alcoholic beverage made from the unopen coconut flower bunch (inflorescence) by tapping it to ruin. The top edge alone of the leathery outer cover of the flower is cut open, through which toddy flows out, drop by drop. An amphora is kept inverted on it overnight to collect it. Toddy tapping used to be a big industry in 'god's own country'.
4) Amphora: (കുടം) round short-necked vessel with small mouth used to collect tapped toddy
5) 'sinners with...... graver sins.': a paradox that mimics at the holy words of Jesus Christ.
6) coconuts: coconuts used to be the main cash crop in the plains of Kerala. The nuts are husked and shelled. The dried kernel yields valuable coconut oil, the common cooking oil used in Kerala cuisine. The oil has industrial uses too.
7) ‘us': we the three brothers, one older to me and the other, a younger one
8) ‘forbade': Our father who was a teacher, gave immense importance to building our character, I realise in hindsight. His constant reprimand was that we should not injure others by our deeds or words.
'Satyam bruyat, Priyam bruyat,
Na bruyat Satyam apriyam.'