Wednesday, September 27, 2017

...


the healing touch
a dot
that joins itself
within itself
all by itself
have you ever tried this
at home all alone
with everybody
tacit books and wise masks
with sad seaside balloon-sellers
through the sands
one gibberish city of mundane
arise arise
it has been good
neon
all the smiles
toasts raised
hoisted petticoats
flags of
who we are
mirrors of
subjectivity.  Mad time. One meme life. One bullet life.




But when all the chips were down,
history had gone to meet the daughter of the clouds.


  

Monday, September 25, 2017

Mr. Shantanu Bhowmik

there's no song for you tonight, Mr. Shantanu Bhowmik, 
some people will rejoice, we know who they are,
and this is not about them.

as for us, we are too scared of being judged
after all, your ancestors were criminals, as were mine
as you know, buddy, crimes across history does lead to anger across history. some people rejoice in this anger, it makes them powerful, we know who they are,
and this is not about them

as for us, we are too weary too churn
how, thoughts, actions, words, pictures - bring some people closer, thwart some asunder
like all histories have ever been doing - 
through all these wars and struggles big and small - across all these walls that we have built 
in the name of all the shit that frightens us, 
all that hollows us out, 
that chokes our music
and snuffs our candles - 
stern bricks like caste, race, creed, colour, religion, passport-stamps, public opinion, political mores of the enlightened et cetera et cetera.

personally, perhaps, a few of us will hum a timid tune or two for you, Mr. Shantanu Bhowmik, or sigh or weep for you - but all from deep inside these enlightened walls. like we sang and wept and sighed deep inside when that kid who got killed for wearing a shahid afridi tee-shirt had etched a small ripple across our respective information bubbles a few moons ago.
even then, some had rejoiced, 
but it was never about them.

it has always been about us. 
we are afraid
we are tired
ghosts haunt us every night

many moons down the line, these ripples will turn into smudges, and then, into indelible imprints,
and then, something incredible will happen
maybe, certain magic doors will open up 
maybe, the ghosts will stop haunting us,
the bullies will stop bullying us
the killers will stop killing us bit by bit
we have the privilege to imagine
we have the privilege to dream,
to learn
to climb trees and mountains;
we are alive
we are afraid of political incorrectness
we are tired of all the killings 
we are silent
we are screaming
we are criminals
we draw flowers
we draw pistols
ghosts haunt us every night
and the ghosts have taken all our songs for you tonight, Mr. Shantanu Bhowmik.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

বালিঘড়ি ও বাতিঘর

তুমি, যে বিমুক্তি নেবে অন্ধ আলোর থেকে
আলোকিত অন্ধকারের পথে, স্রোত থেকে স্রোতান্তরে –
তুমি, যে উজান ও ভাঁটা মিলে শূন্য হবে – তেপান্তরের ও’পারে রাখবে
নির্গ্রন্থ অক্ষরকাঁটা – জঙ্গলে মানুষের ঘ্রাণ, মানুষে সমুদ্রের
সমুদ্রে বসত করে অলীক জলপরী
মাঝে মাঝে উঠে আসে জ্যোৎস্নার বালুচরে ক্লিশের ক্লীবমুখ ছিঁড়েফুঁড়ে –
মাংসে চৈতন্য ছোঁড়ো, ছোঁড়ো পাথর কাঁটাতারে কার্ফ্যুতে
প্রেমবজ্র নিক্ষেপ করো যা কিছু দুখদায়ী, তাতে,
যে দুঃখ আপন নয় তাতেও কেঁদেছো বুঝি কিছু
নিভৃত সুন্দর কাঁদিয়েছে অভ্যন্তর আলিন্দে প্রাচীরে
কেঁদে কেঁদে ফিরে গ্যাছে দয়ালু নদীর ঢেউ নানাবিধ বিকেলের কাছে
ভেঙে দুই রাঙাপাড়, গিলে কিছু কেল্লা ও ফাটক
প্রিয় ইনকিলাব,
গাছ হয়ে যেও মাঝে মাঝে
চিঠি লিখতে ইচ্ছে করলে মানুষের মতো অনুভূত হয়  -

জানলা খুলে রেখো
বলা যায় না, চলেও আসতে পারে যে'কোনো উচ্ছ্বল একদিন
দু’একটা নির্লিপ্ত প্রজাপতি – পায়ে নিয়ে অবিস্মরণীয় রেণু!



Sunday, September 17, 2017

moon man & mother time

moon man is beautiful
moon man is wise
and when the world gets dead & dark
fireflies gather for advice
it is always evening here
too much thirst to quench
certain hearts shall flutter by
certain writhe and wrench
moon man's mother, she is time
she is sweet like flesh
little children pop their heads
and see the world afresh!
mama time, she knows it all
she shall ever do
moon man, he's strong & tall
and both of them are true.

Friday, September 1, 2017

Rohingya

40 thousand people
40 thousand phantoms
are marching towards you 
right now


you have taken their lands
you have taken to hatred
you have been taken by greed

they knew nothing of this
they knew everything
their backs, painted by barbwire,
cooked by bullets
know everything


40 thousand dreams
that couldn’t connect
how the price of onion & flour 
and the price of guns and tanks
and the wrath of Buddha
and the sword of Rama
would not let them 
return to their homes by sunset,
maybe, smoke a little,
and look at the river flowing by,
clouds making shapes in reds and oranges


so they turned with the tides,
with the agony of the moon, the weeping hills,
the alert golden winged vultures – 
with all history and being – 40 thousand vivid humans

first you didn’t count them
and now, you can’t
and, right now, 
in deep silence,
they are marching
towards you
towards the spot between your eyes
may 40 thousand nightmares be all yours tonight


Rohingya, flesh of me and my mother
soul of my sweet, big, ancient earth
you, 
friends,
shall live 
and they, who took your lands and bodies,
shan’t.