Daredevil

Daredevil

I was a dare-devil

Hornless, without a tail, still exhibited my worth

I remember my childhood

I anchored my ship to islands where nobody had ever gone

Well, I thought so, where I collected red beauty queens

From the Hijal trees, and saw how the creatures of the underworld

Kisses the water surface with utmost please,

Electrifying! Start from the evening

Millions of singers battled over their hymn having-

Identical rhyme, to please their Gods?

Love was in the air when I-

Plowed the land with earthworms,

Snatched the red ribbons from the hair of my sisters,

Heard an elderly reading his daily Geeta, and when I

Fishhooked others catch,

I was no match, I saw love-

Into the gumming smile of the grannies,

Into the misled quacks,

Into the mash of Tamarind leaves,

Into the color of the dusky skies,

Into the theatrical gesture of the girls,

Into the udder of newly mother Rai,

Into the heartache of Sajal’s flute,

I saw love everywhere, there was no doubt,

Love was in the air,

The fireflies, the nestlings, and flowers bloomed-

Told me that I was theirs’, I remember my childhood

If I could- I wish to become that dare-devil once more.

Translated on 14 September 2018

(This is a translation of my Bengali Poem “Danpitey” which I wrote on 10 July 2011)