the Big World

I had a tough childhood.

My limits prescribed were narrow,

I did not dare to find

Where to the road from my house led.

Only I knew

Towards the North,

I could reach my school,

Across the Pycrofts Road,

Past the Indian Bank branch

On the Big Street

A little distance away

From the Parthasarthi Koil,

And to the South,

To the Vivekananda College,

(Next to the Ramakrishna Mission)

Where I studied after completing school.

I could not venture any further

Except to the Marina Beach in the East

Accompanied by Hamid and Shanmuga

And the New College in the West

Where Ibrahim studied.

It was a closely-knit world,

The big world was not for me.

It opened up after I left Chennai.