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teaching malayalam to 5-year olds,
left palms of hours for Hari saar to tend
the unwalled padam;
for every peepal, banyan, tamarind, jackfruit,
bananas,
there were three cocounut palms;
carved deep moats at their feet,
filled them with well water.
browned coconut leaves made
the roof of his mud house.
when he took the morning dip in the
temple pond,
mothers yoked their kids to chalk and slates.
between class 1 and home,
spent 40 years.