We Need Smiling Grandmas Poem by Satheesan Rangorath

early morning at the twilight
crest of the sun shows up
sickle moon goes down
grandma gets up
along with the trumpeting roosters
washed and brushed
with a neem stick, she is ready
putting sacred ashes on the forehead
saying a prayer to the' baby sun'
she lights the sacred fire in the kitchen oven
tea kettle on the firewood furnace
off she goes to cattle shed
cleaning, washing of cattle and calf, milks the cow "ammine "talking to her
In loving words and pet songs

then she takes her broom
sweeps the front yard
sprinkles a mixture of cow dung water
antiinfectivetraditional

grandyruns to the kitchen with a sun hymn
prepares morning tea
filled in special 'golden brass 'cups
carries to her son's, daughters, and grandchildren with enchantments of divine names
by the time her loving family ready
for a bath in the family pond
granny supplies specially prepared herbal hair oil to each one
all family members wash swim and
hang to dry their clothes on a line attached on coconut trees
breakfast is ready
simple loosely cooked rice mixed with
green gram or whole gram
or just ground chilly, tamarind, onion salt paste for tastebuds

off they go for their daily work
some to the local offices some to the
own paddy fields or coconut farm

grandma happy sit on the floor
for elaborate betel leaves chewing
extravaganza with tobacco and lime paste combination
relishes well after spiting the red saliva
In the brass spitoon

cools off a while with a hand made palm leaf fan
chants her prayers
while cooking the lunch
churns the curd with a wooden skimmer
butter is extracted swiftly

the time now for a bath
goes to the pond her natural swimming pool for an oil bath
rushes back to the kitchen to arrange lunch
talks with her husband over a cup of black coffee and betel session

after lunching with all family members, goes for a well-deserved siesta
evening coffee
by sunset lights an oil wicked lamp
the fragrance of incense she reads loudly from the Ramayana
a chapter or two
dinner is served in the kitchen
mostly "kanji" loosely cooked rice
like porridge
early to bed with grandchildren
singing an old lullaby or folksong
or stories from epics for the benefit of children

She is no more now
but she handed over a tradition, culture and
civilization
her memory remains
an inspiration to the generations to come
it is not the gadgets,
we need smiling grandmas