and may be we will
almost fall in love. . .
I will look into his eyes,
and he into mine—
my one single eye,
(the unfortunate other
blinded by a disciplinizing slap)
and we will agree, adjust
that Love can be Blind.
And he, healthy boy
well-fed, white with his rosy cheeks,
will wonder about me,
pity my bony body, those thin ribs
and worry
and feel my twisted ears
and the scars on my hands,
(reminders of the flirtation
of my skin and a cruel cane)
and perhaps lift my skirt. . .
Before he learns the greater horrors,
I owe him the truth of me—
So, I will say to him:
“I went to school”.
(First published in Muse India)
Meena Kandasamy's Poetry 
Oh! what a discovery!”I went to school” says it all. You have slapped in the face of present educational system.
But who cares? Does anybody care?
superb!!!!wonderfully portrayed the reality in few words in a perfect landscape……i won’t call it a discovery…….but realization of shameful system……each one of us have a part to make a difference…..
kudos!!! hats off!!!! succint and striking……we all are part of the shameless system: a victim or exploiter……we can make a difference…different reality is possible…..
Today when I read the news of Shanno khan – a 11 year old student from Delhi who was beaten to death by her teacher, the lines from your poem flashed in my mind.
But I want to forget the poem. I want the world changes forever. I wish the teachers change. I wish the educational system change. I want to forget the poem.
the poem was striking, indeed.corporal punishment in schools has always been controversial.AS a teacher myself, i am against such cruel punishment. however, the parents of all my students insist on appropriate punishment . Sometimes, i ask myself, did our parents punish us when we were children ?
i love this one!