To Know The Past Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

You must know all about the people around,
Of the days gone by- who have traversed,
Of the paths you tread- who have erected,
The temples and the public places you use,
Whose hands were the cause for the fruits you eat,
And what bygone scenes of love, jealousy,
Revenge, treachery have been enacted
In the huts, the forts, the streets and the fields.
You must know the past and the people
As you expect to be known by days to come.

Inspired by Thomas Hardy- The Woodlanders
11.03.2008