The Tenant Poem by Parameswaran Nair Damodaran Nair

His breaths stank decay and death unlike
The accustomed smell of toil, and despair
A lingered wish choked out in broken words,
Amid long cough in vague and feeble voice,

family members gathered around his bed
And looked at each other in deep anguish:
It was odd hours of past midnight, rain wet
Unfavourable to wish tender coconut water

Annoyed and distressed in deep thirst
His eyes were rolling like search lights
For the drink to cool his parching throat.
But nobody dared to venture and explore

His teen son climbed up a coconut tree
Among the row of them in front of the hut
All planted by him and nurtured in his sweat.
As a bonded tenant in the soil of his landlord

Hardly had the plucked nut been cut open
A gang of the landlord's goondas gusted in
And snatched it away asking in hot temper,
'How dare you devil steal landlord's coconut, ? '

Too feeble was he to withstand their blows,
Nor was able to run away being tied to the tree
Hard kicks and thrashes collapsed him
And sunk him to the depths of a tragic death

Amidst the noise of struggles and violence
Nobody noticed the old man ending his tenancy
Having spread the terrible thirst to his veins
And a spook of pain storming inside the chest

Abundance exploited from the life of the poor
Castles built on their tombs in cruel deception
Cups of life snatched away from their lips
Have never withstood the test of perilous time