Xylophone Poem by Narayanan Nair. P Perunthanam

XYLOPHONE
Xylophone is my body of bars
Others play. I sing at mallets fall
On every role: every bar.

How obedient instrument be-
in various tunes and tones
in life it sings to please.

To please my fellow-beings: wife,
I cry with strain for children,
For parents' happiness.

Mothers' tears are babies' glee
Smile of male is in bleeding virginity.
Pangs of birth breeds bags of gifts.

"No" violates this placid submission
Straining bars may break,
by day break of "No" brakes.

Still, Xylophone, never say "No".
so being cornered un honoured,
housed by Spiders for prey lies, lo! .

Lies on lies under the blanket of lies
Though scorching heat of the Sun
pricks the bars old, hold.

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