Yesterday They Have Announced:Arun Kamble

Arun Kamble

Yesterday They Have Announced

We were busy smelling the flowers of paradise

They came and they buried our feet in the ground;

The scent of flowers

And built mansions.

When it rained

They sucked up the clear water;

On our buried feet

Rose yet another layer of fresh earth.

In that very earth they grew flowers

Of various kinds, of various hues,

Making various experiments;

And while plucking flowers,

Snicked our feet too,

Knowing unknowingly.

Then they dabbed the same colors

Upon the flowers;

With the same flowers they decked their chariots;

With the same flowers they celebrated their wars.

No rain came for a while;

The chariot too was in jail;

there were at least no shrouds then.

Then they were released:

Their leader

Dug up out tomb with a plough;

Afterwards they settled don

To raise a crop of cactus.

Yesterday they have announced

That they will weed out the cactus,

Yesterday they have announced

That they will free our feet;

Yesterday they have announced

That they will give us a few mouthfuls of water

.

Translated by Vilas Sarang