The fervour of coming back, and the inbuilt resilience of the exiles, to mould from the debris, that was whatever, that forced us back ahead the end of war. Even the coming back to a defeated homeland was enthralling, we built tall dreams en route, clinging to mirages, as though, nothing came about, and sought ways to wipe out[Read More...]
Air and water both flow And mix and merge Neither lives But give live Noises echo Voices carry Smells and sounds Join us together Colors can run If they touch Languages mesh At meal time Not yours Not mine Not his, hers or theirs We are bound together
1. Putin! Putin! There’s really no disputin’! You’re a liar and a louse And you look like a mouse! Get out of our House! This House we call “Earth”! That’s ours from our birth! Don’t kill the babies With your kind of rabies! We’ve been thru this before— This plague we call “War”! The generals praise… While Earth rots and[Read More...]
The entire city is smelling of burnt human flesh all are smelling same – the flesh of the children, pregnant women and newly wed couple. We learnt today fire does not know how to differ bones It burns all – old bones and young bones in the same vigor. In an auditorium in Kolkata the city of the Babus all[Read More...]
The angel of death with a man’s face; the mother of life comforting children. Here is where we are a planet shaken by war. People riven. We come to a turning point in the guilty history of crime. We gather to listen to witnessing voices of blood and corpses. Every one of us, deliberately or[Read More...]
(Mahatmajir Proti) Sukanta Bhattacharya (1926-1947) Translated © 2022 from the Bengali by Monish R Chatterjee Of our teeming 400 million, I too am one, I know Abruptly in the airwaves I’ve heard the pronouncement – The great moment in my life has arrived, instantly wiping away All apprehension and cowardice. The drumbeats of exultation Ring out in my bloodstream: [Read More...]
Eat this. There is not much time for eating. We fight and food is scarce and getting scarcer. Maybe this is our last supper? Perhaps the world is ending? This shattered bone-bread is bodies of our people – fallen, falling bread crumbs and scattered black seeds of sunflowers. Citizens who are dismembered sleep now, never to waken[Read More...]
That was at what time, our mother said, “we were working out on a journey with friends and relatives.” We were joyful. We departed by picking lonesome paths, that carried eerie charge. I was but eight. Mother said, people walked all the way through wars. It was in contrast to whatever we conceived it to be. We did not[Read More...]
Oh Yemen, I’m sorry That No one remembers you That You are not White That You are not Christian That You were attacked by the “good guys” I know you have solidarity With the people Of Ukraine Even if No one remembers you
Nights are on the panics, you filled your gun with bullets; Nights are dreadful, you shield and polish your weapons with great pride. Pride – your pride costs how many lives? You caress your pride like a baby, your only child is your weapon. Time has come; you’re ready to take charge, Your baby is well prepared- your gun is[Read More...]
