Two School Tours Poem by santhana louis

TWO SCHOOL TOURS



From this tiny interior, dusty village,
land-locked, dry stretch, primitive roads
fifty five students, in regular uniforms
of standard nine and ten, of agrarian backdrop,
four lady teachers - set out on an excursion
to the nearby town

Journey by train, was very new to many
touching a town was itself a thrill
moving in rows, walked around in
main streets with mouths wide open
lure for a city life, got seeded in their inner mind

they climbed the rock fort, hill top Vinayak,
Grand Anaikut, bath in knee-deep waters
to Srirangam, played on the dry sands
stayed in a temple mutt, food from a charity
prayed at Samayapuram, rested in a local school

all the two days, each one enjoyed every moment
despite, pocket money of below rupees twenty,
the trip has triggered a violent fire of zeal and resolve
to succeed in life, and to grab the comforts at par

now, twenty years later, my son in Don Bosco
handed to me a notice, of school tour in summer
to Phuket, Bali and Jeju - a 7 days package;
small world - history repeats itself

my old days excursion flashes in my mind
the impact it made, had shaped me well and sound

but, a foreign pleasure tour at the age of ten
is a prestige stunt - and for me, hard to digest


Louis Santhana