Daya Pawar
Blood-wave
My ear pressed to your side
Heavy with child,
I hear rumours of the ocean.\the waves of blood
swelling out
From a body fulfilled.
The mine nudging the seaward is
eager for its first glimpse
Of the universe.
Fists tight..clenched for a blow,
The life small as a fist
is aflame with ardour.
But you are so desolate…why desolation?
Do you fear-
As our generations gave lifelong battle
Battered by wind and rain
Our birthing bed arrayed
Under a palm leaf thatch
Feasting off gruel
Boiled rolling on our cooking fires
Do you fear,
As our generations grown bull-strong,
bull-bumped
Pulling the village like a cart,
Became lifeless lumps worth mud,
he too will be mud?
Truly , if he is to be
Thus crushed and lifeless
Then-remember the Greek Myth?-
As soon as the cord is cut
Let’s burn, scorch, hire-harden him
In leaping flames. This phoenix
Feeding on live coals
Will brave the powerful skies
And all that this nation never offered
To you or me- the joy, the glory-
He will pull down to his feet.
Translated by Priya Adarkar
No comments:
Post a Comment