Tusker Poem by Gangadharan nair Pulingat..

I am a giant tusker having giant body and tusk
I stands in the raw of elephants in the festival
My giant body and big tusk and beautiful body language
Made me the chief attraction of the crowd
They praise me well and observes me in detail
They narrates my qualities and characters as well
The caprisoned elephant is always an attraction
In the processions, celebrations, temple festivals
where people gather in large numbers for devotion and likes
But they are ignorant of our plight as animals
In the sun heat, tarred surface of the roads, in crowd
They makes noises that disturbs my mind
The drum beats, fire works, bright shining lights
All of these creates a lot of mental strain
Though I respect and loyal to my owner as my master
I am always a little quarrelsome to my mahout
Not out of my inborn wilderness but due to his fault
He makes me lot of pressure by his harsh punishments
He beats me a lot with his strong and heavy stick
And makes me wound in my legs by his sharp knife
stating that I am a little crazy and indisciplined
He is ignorant of my past in the wilderness
where forest was my ancestor house and my family is there
My mother, father, brother and sisters also the friends
There was enough freedom and eatables aplenty
The raw and tender Bamboo leaves and lot of grass
The river water so tasty and cool and also comfortable,
To swim across the river the very happy experience
Elders taught us to swim across the river
Which was so pleasant, pride, and good feelings
The people residing in the wild forest were also gentle
They seldom disturb us or create problems
We had lived in perfect harmony and they loved us
Though sometimes we created problems to their huts
Still they forgave us and our naughty habits
Knowing the habit of elephants through generations
They reconstructs their small dwellings and rethatch
Suffering silently the disturbances we created
They know they are only our jokes and not cruelty
The tusker stands nearby makes me some discomfort
I am in a bit of anger and not to suffer anymore
I suddenly attacked with my strong tusk which he gave back
The people ran towards safety far away
No mention, I will not disturb the women and children
Since I am a tusker with my pride and pomp
My kingly habits are always there to make me restrain
I submit to my owner and accept the fruits when he called
Not out of fear but out of gentleness that made me
The proud and gentle and giant tusker I am
The people says I killed my mahout in the quarrel
But I am innocent and it is quite accidental
I am asking goodbye to you friends, and If gets a chance
To escape from this hell of life in celebrations
The wilderness in the forest is calling me
Ever and ever come and come my little child
Can I escape from this chains and mahouts gentlemen
Only the future can say when you people decide
Irrespective of power, weight, tusks, and body mass
I am in captivity as a giant elephant supposed to be loyal
What a predicament that destiny decided to me
Still I am in hope of escape my dear friends and well wishers
I will not forget you all my good brethern
who gave me lot of love and praises.
I am a tusker of wilderness I born and baught up
I still remember my childhood and mother
Who loved me more and more at all times
I remember her breast feeding aplenty and punishments
But I fall in a pit of perfect cheating by men
There started my hardships upto this life
Still I am in hopes of escape my friends and well wishers.