Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Scene 1 – Meet the hapless farmer, who couldn’t repay his loan,
He sold off his farmyard and moved into a sprawling city all alone.
In a deserted corner of a narrow lane,
he started a tea shop and made a little gain
As more commoners dropped by, he brought his wife back as his helpmate
She joyfully joined him for years, washing every cup and plate
It didn’t matter if it was rainy or sunny
They slogged till late at night to save every penny
Scene 2 – With a drunken and abusive spouse, she was braving
until she discovered one morning, that he fled with her savings.
As loan sharks shoved her into a financial whirlpool,
she pulled her four daughters out from their primary school.
Weeks later, she bargained with a street vendor for an old push cart,
picked up a charcoal iron box and made a simple start.
Hassled by her husband’s loans she could save minuscule.
Yet with her mobile laundry shop, her girls moved back to school
Scene 3 – In a straw-thatched hut on the riverside
of a remote village, a teenager led a life simplified,
until the night when his dad and mom were washed away in the flood.
He migrated to that noisy city with his little sister he loved.
He entered as an apprentice in a salon
As years rolled by, his hardship was bygone
Opening his own salon, he saved earnestly for his sister’s wedding
and didn’t care to think about where his future was heading
Scene 4 – A teashop, an iron box, and a salon endorsed them as employers.
They inched toward the middle class steadier and slower
Their success enheartened folks staying famished in their villages
many journeyed to join their business and earned daily wages
Brimming with pride, they reminisced life’s phases amidst bruises
To their kids, they were resolute that their toil left any traces
They prayed God that this progress should last
And financial woes should ever be things of the past.
Climax – Unexpectedly, two entrepreneurs set up tea shops with branding and appeal
A laundry chain launch with an App, and another big shot put his shoulder to the wheel
A wealthy MBA graduate floated showy salons in that metro
To penetrate customer segments, each priced their services too low
Tea meeting in a branded shop, youngsters found it trendy
Branded outlets mushroomed around in plenty
With movie stars signing up as their brand ambassadors,
that small teashop owner’s business was turning a boat without rudders
Ironing cart – As not many offered dresses to press,
declining income rebounded nightmares and distress.
Darkness descended upon her life again
seeing her four daughters married seemed to be in vain
When life was building hope for the deprived, big brands razed them.
Challenges by millionaires, Ads, and media – can those cash-strapped owners overcome?
With branded chains in every business that the poorest could start,
the far-fetched economic equality is soon falling apart.
Resolution – In the simplest way, do you want to uplift your society?
You can, with an iota of awareness and responsibility.
When you think of a cup of tea, haircut, laundry or grocery,
hold every small business owner in your memory.
– Dr. Venkat Kumaresan,
– Keynote Speaker, Humorist, Workplace Challenges Guru
– Author of `Father Of Your Team`, Amazon US #1 New Release in `Office Management`
– www.authorvenkat.com
Venkat Kumaresan – Brief Bio
Dr. Venkat Kumaresan, is a best-selling author of ’Father of Your Team’, Workplace Challenges Guru, humorist, motivational speaker, story teller, coach and poet. Awarded in ‘India Top 100 Authors’ category for 2022, his book was ranked #1 Amazon US New Release. Venkat has written over 50 poems with some of them featuring in popular anthologies. His articles have been published in International magazines.
