Then, My Village

Then, My Village

The pathos of a passerby
in his call at a pitch high
scared by his loneliness,
and beasts howling in the darkness
in the late hour of the night
night birds adding to the fright
with a call choking his throat
to the boatman to bring the boat
terrified me then on grandma’s lap
now after seven - decade gap
his pathetic states, me quiver
at late night to cross the river
with scenes of the cremation ground
spirits evil’s laughing sound.
The boatman was never late
to respond and is never irate
rowing empty boat across the river
for one man, to him, it does not matter
his dedication to duty sees no bar
a poor rich one or ten, all were on par
The father, two sons and female folk’s support
two ancestral boats as financial comfort
they earn their livelihood from the river
collecting paddy from the fields of the farmer
as battered in exchange for their sweat and labor
with sweat shed toiling on land by the farmer.
They belong to fisher men’s clan
since generations serve as boatmen.
Others in their clan adopt their profession
live on fish following family tradition
catching fish from ponds and rivers
selling them to meet their expenditures
Sell they, fish dry or fresh. as consumers wish
treating, drying, and well-preserving the fish
on their fishing traps their art and craft
so also the exhibition of their acumen and art
in catching fish, a big from the deep water
catch the big haul in attempts they never falter
From the bank of our river
when the river one crosses over
sees he my villagers at their dwells and deeds
complying in the boatman way the social needs.
Washerman and his kith and kin
with burnt plantain stem’s dry skin
wash and clean clothes in the village
carried by their donkeys as baggage
certain they were on each clothes owner
from his place cleanliness of the village, men infer.
No washing powder hazard to the environment
all cloths of the village they clean daily and frequent
At the entry point of the village a blacksmith dwells
as ancestral job on ironwork, he excels
meeting the demand of household requirements
and on-field equipment, the commitments.
His deeds taught me iron can be made liquid
and malleable to any shape, thus many got yielded.
Next to the blacksmith stayed a family of carpenter
who could meet the demand but failed he never.
without modern steel screw and nail
his wooden joints never fail.
Close to his house, dwellings of milkmen grew
who with them kept cows and castles a few
rest in hoard they kept on the river bank and bed
where on leaves and grasses they were well-fed
at calls l palanquins on their shoulders, they carried
by their lorries, their pains of labor were buried
the milk, buttermilk curd cheese, ghee and butter
finding no make close by village market they did prefer
At the outskirts of villages exist hamlets few
where dwellings of labor classes grew
since many generations who toil in the field
farmers join them to enrich the yield.
Lives, in the village, a family of barber
since generations serving  the village dwellers
from trimming of hairs to shaving the face
their women folk taking care of village women’s grace.
Needed most they were on festive occasions
and in rituals as demanded by age-long traditions
carry their shoulder load of eatables and sweets
to a relations house at far and there get their treats
from the neighboring village, a mile away
where our pottery makers stay
supply the pots, earthen
unheard in kitchen modern.
Many such tribes with skill special
meet the needs of the village since time ancestral
cloth makers priests and people with varied trades
come from adjacent villages to aid earning their bread
Rest from the village
as their family anchorage
adopt farming as a tradition
since generations from dad to son
making farmers in the rest of the village
since ages with close social bondage
Everyone is addressed with due respect
adorning a relation to the name, it to reflect
be it a barber man or maid, washerwoman or man
a labor male or female or family of the boatman
giving respect to age and elderliness
bonding each in the family web in the process.
A weekly market is held across the river
serves it their needs as sellers and buyer
they sell their vegetables from the field
organic-only then was the total yield
kerosene, matchboxes, and salt Purchased, they
beyond needing tempting purchases they pay.
A dump pit, every hose had
daily garbage and dirt they add
filths of household and animal pet
at regular intervals manures for land they get.
At the entry point, exists a banyan tree
underneath a shrine open and free
a pipal trees located not far away
where after bath, water ladies spray.
Worshipping the environment on their way
cordial, to health they ensure it to stay.
In every evening elders without fail
listen to older people's epics in detail

Dedusking of paddies from shell
by rhythms of women folk’s exquisite tale
that requires volume to touch upon
“ Hats off to ladies of that generation.”
The bondage among women ten
one feeding the wooden hammer then
without burnishes on her finger
gossiping and laughing together
needed they no wage or any kind
with social knot kept always in mind
For any family celebration
or any ritualistic function
they go for lunch or dinner
all villagers with pleasure
squaring together on the floor
with banana leaves at the fore
Eldest initiates first
juniors follow them staying at last.
it is aa deep-rooted bondage
fo every dweller in the village
irrespective of cadet and creed
fantastic lessons to be learned indeed.
Living thus with nature
good health, it is sure
a leave a shoot and a root
for recovery, it will suit
existed there a family traditionally known
ro cure hated diseases out of proportion
For childbirth and for its growth
old women had proved their worth.
Dwell I in my novice way
as on my village volumes cannot say
if attended by writers par excellence
it goes beyond their brilliance
volumes beyond the limit it will swell
if left out aspects one dares dwell.
I am a novice to comment
on village then and at present
but my heart longs for the village then
whether civilization for them is a boon or bane.
Practices in my village in galore
peep in me to come to the fore
with plenty of beauty in it
excelling in today's practice I must admit.

P K Routray
in the service of the Lord