A Bat Story

As a bat, my children, my life was very peaceful till one day... I got lost. This was the most dangerous expedition I had ever been on. As you know, your father and I are the explorers and we check out new territories and mark it. This was one of those days...

And your father, that meep, left me alone there disoriented.

So here's what happened.

We went in through an open port. It was unknown territory. We knew immediately that there was no food to be got here and that it is a useless place to nest. There were unidentified whirring objects in the sky. Speaking of the sky, it was very hard like a cave. But there were no places to roost or hang on to. It was like the morning went solid.

Out of nowhere, suddenly a new thing appeared in my range. It was very big and was on the ground. It came with light. The light disoriented us. He managed to find the way out but I couldn't. Then I was attacked.

This new spectre tried to hurt me in all ways possible. It threw liquid at me and made my wings so heavy, but I knew I had to fly and stay above him. It brought with it light, our biggest danger, but nevertheless I still flew against all odds. Suddenly it disappeared from my range.

Unfortunately I had forgotten about the UWO. It hit me. I crashed. I couldn't fly anymore. I thought that this creature spectre was going to eat me. I pretended to be dead so that I might be left alone.
And children, that was the best plan I made in my whole life till now... Other than having all of you, of course.

This creature called its kin and both of them tried to ... I can't even describe it. I was bathandled children and not even kindly. From the way they did what they did, I knew they were males.
And I used to think your father is a klutz.

Anyhow, they took me to the sky. I don't know what they intended to do. But I broke free the moment I sensed the change of air current.

Children, sometimes you should just fly for it and not wait. This was one of those moments. Against all odds, I bit the spectre and flew away. I escaped and found your father and we were so exhilarated that we had all 25 of you.

And that my dears, is how you were born.

Objectified

You described me as
A map of India
Complete with
The Himalayas,
The Deccan plateau,
And a Kanyakumari
Touching a vast sea.
I had dark jewels
And vast wilderness which
Was always to remain tied away.

Then that fateful ship came
And crashed at the port,
At this Kanyakumari
Like colonisers.
And like them, you also
Found Kochi first.
Cochin to you.
You made me
A piece of land
To be worked upon,
A piece of crystal
To be admired from far,
A bit of flesh
To be taken raw.

Mr. Poet, sir, I was Not
Any of these.
I am not a country,
Nor a piece of earth,
I am not dead flesh
Nor a piece of fish,
I am not a thing
To be used again
And again
And again
And again...
Till my expiry date is due.

I was not any of these.
But I became when I was
With you.

And a hopelessly lost piece
Of living flesh and bones
Now seek to surrender,
To be colonised under
Another rule just to feel
Used
Again
And again
And again.

Because now I know not
How to live as me rather than
Your object.