Song 88

I know several people who are very poor in communication.  I wrote this poem to one of them.  He is very poor in communication. In those days we didn’t have mobile phones to talk easily.   Even today there are many like him who never respond to any message that we send.  They might be busy. But lack of communication limits the relationship as one cannot go on crushing any oil-seeds which is not worth doing.  Though wrote in a different context, what Mahatma Gandhi says about this very true:

…I shall continue to attend meetings like this till the 1st of August, but afterwards I shall stop doing even that. I shall go on pleading for swadeshi only up to the 31st of August. Afterwards, I shall give up that too. I am a practical business man. I shall go on with the crushing of any quantity of oil-seeds only as long as I believe that it is worth while doing so, and stop afterwards. I have much other business to attend to.—Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, from electronic copy, vol. 24, p. 29

88.  ஒரு களைப்பு

எழுதி எழுதியே களைத்துவிட்டேன்

எனதரும் நண்பா உனக்கே நான்

என்ன செய்வது பின் நினைவு வந்தது

ஒன்று உன்னிடம் இல்லை என்பது

அதை அனுப்ப இயலாததால் நான்

மீண்டும் ஒருமுறை துணிவு கொண்டே

எழுதுகிறேன் இக்கடிதம் இங்கு

பேனா-பேப்பர் இருந்திட்டாலும்

ஒன்று நிச்சயம் தேவை உனக்கு

காசு கொடுத்தே வாங்கிட

அது கடையில் கிடைக்கும் பொருளல்ல

‘கரிசனை’ என்மீது இருக்குமானால்

எடுத்துவிடு உன் எழுது கோலை

தொடுத்துவிடு உன் மடலை இன்று

Erode 14-5-1997, 4.30 p.m.

88.  Become tired

I become tired of

Writing many times

Then I remembered

That you don’t have one thing

As I cannot send it to you

Taking courage

I am writing one more time

Though you have paper and pen

But definitely you need one thing

It is not available

For you to buy from a shop

If you have concern for me

Take your pen

And write your letter

Erode 14-5-197, 4.30 p.m.