School Inspection Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

School inspection
District education officer
Makes arrangement for inspection of government run schools
Once in a year, often sometime in the month of July
It was my final year in the school
The usual instruction would be to come clean
To the school and in the uniform
I was well prepared with the dialogue of a village preacher
In a drama to be staged in the class room
At the time of officer’s presence in our class
My class teacher was confident of my performance
And hence he allotted this one page long English script
To be delivered in appropriate pauses and
With a confident-winning body language making a culprit repent
Just at the time of leaving home for school
I realized that I did not the school dress code,
Namely, the white shirt and the brown shorts
My eldest cousin came to my rescue
He offered his white shirt
But it was long enough to reach my knees
And shoulders hanging both sides
Sleeves longer my hands disappearing within
He folded up the shirt from inside both sides with hurried stiches
And made it match my height
He folded the sleeves to such a height
That my forearms were visible
He made temporary adjustments on both shoulders of the shirt
So that they did not hang out too much
Shirt got ready in five minutes
But what about trouser?
He said “you are old enough to put on a doti
And no one can question it”
He wrapped in white doti with a help of waist belt
The long shirt masking this troublesome arrangements inside
And I was asked to leave for school
I was walking every inch to the school
At each step adjusting my shirt and doti
But forgetting not to rehearse the dialogue
Thank God, I reached the school
By which time I realized that
So many were watching my plight
And my first time experience with doti-draping
I sat in my seat never venturing even once to get up
So that my attire stayed safe in their respective position
I avoided greeting my friends
As I nursed a feeling that they were exchanging mischievous smiles
Around my dress and appearance
I had to get up when the inspector entered the class
When my class teacher signaled
I stood up and delivered the village preacher’s dialogue well
To the satisfaction of my teacher and the inspector
The entire class applauding my effort
I did not mark anything
As my hands were busy attending during the entire time of dialogue-delivery
The slipping doti from the waist
All ended well, both my village preacher’s role and doti tightening
I started feeling free at last
And walked back home with nothing to bother over my dress and appearance
It took sometime
Before I was unwrapped off this unusual uniform