M 4 Human Rights

Poetry reading by Dr Premanand M E

The Body Politic - Hiromi Goto

History Lesson 

Reading of the poem

History Lesson (Analysis)

History Lesson                  (Poem)                                                                                                 

Out of the belly of Christopher's ship

a mob bursts

Running in all directions

Pulling furs off animals

Shooting buffalo

Shooting each other

left and right


Father mean well

waves his makeshift wand

forgives saucer-eyed Indians


Red coated knights

gallop across the prairie

to get their men

and to build a new world


Pioneers and traders bring gifts

Smallpox, Seagrams

and rice krispies


Civilization has reached

the promised land


Between the snap crackle pop

of smoke stacks

and multicolored rivers

swelling with flower powered zee

are farmers sowing skulls and bones

and miners

pulling from gaping holes

green paper faces

of a smiling English lady

The colossi

in which they trust

while burying

breathing forests and fields

beneath concrete and steel

stand shaking fists

waiting to mutilate

whole civilizations

ten generations at a blow


Somewhere among the remains

of skinless animals

is the termination·

to a long journey

and unholy search

for the power 

glimpsed in a garden

forever closed

forever lost

1979, 1991

History Lesson Out of the belly of Christopher 's ship a mob bur s ts Running in all directions Pulling furs off animals Shooting buffa lo S hooting each oth er l eft and ri ght Father mean well waves his m a keshift wand fo r g ives sa uce r -eyed Indians R ed coated knights gall op across the prairie 1978, 1991 to get th e ir men and to bui ld a new world Pioneers and traders bring gifts Smallpox, Seagra ms a nd rice krispies Civilizati on has reached the prom ised land Between the snap crack le pop of smo ke stacks and multico lored rive rs swelling with flower powered zee a re farmers sowing s kulls and bones and m in e rs pulling from gaping ho les gre en paper faces of a smiling En glish lady The co lossi in whi ch t hey trust while bury ing breathing forests a nd fiel ds beneath co n c r e te and steel stand sh a king fists wait ing to mutilate who le c ivil i zati o ns ten ge n erat i o ns at a b low So mew h e re amo n g the r emains of skinless animals is t he t erminati o n· to a l o ng journey a nd unh o ly search for the power glimpsed in a garden fo rever closed fo rever lost 1 9 79, 1991 

"Entre-vous to Adulthood" from One Little Finger - Malini Chib.

One Little Finger is the autobiography of Malini Chib—a woman who defied all odds to emerge victorious in spite of a crippling disability and an indifferent society; who dragged herself out of the limits of her condition. This is the story of Malini's search for independence and identity, and her zeal to live a full, meaningful life despite lifelong disability.

Malini has Cerebral Palsy, a neurological condition similar to adult stroke, which makes body movement and speech extremely difficult. However, the cognitive functions of brain can often remain unimpaired, as in the case of Malini. She recounts her experiences from childhood to adulthood, her struggles with motor skills and speech, managing day-to-day activities, and the apathy and indifference of people towards her and others who are disabled. She educates herself, learns to type with her little finger and speak through the Lightwriter. Finally, she works through unfavorable social systems and attitudes to get a career as an event manager.

As life becomes a tear and a smile for her, Malini tells us the story of her heroic battle against adversity, prejudice, stigmas, stereotypes, of her will to succeed and her search for an identity in a contrary world. And in the process of self-realization, she becomes a beacon of hope for everyone.