A Dedication

KAATHBIRALI

Kather moto noi to nirosh, biral-soman michke noi
Kathbirali naam tobuo, lej tule laf dichhi oi
Lafie choli gachher patay, laf diye jai boner dhar
Chokher polok falar agei ak nimeshe pogar par

Tomara bhabo niijer mone ichhemoto jai chhute?
Sokal-bikel sheet-grishmo bhishon moja ni lute?
Bhul bhebechho! Amar moner ichhegulo shobi hay
Lukiechhe oi gachher dale, khun hobe sei asnkay

Gachher dale laf die to ichhederi jai khuje
Keu roechhe ghapti mere, keu ba ache chokh bujhe
Ichhera keu bish kheyechhe, keu ba akhon niruddesh
Roechhe jara konokrome, tadero shob ashai shesh.

Nijer chhayai korchhi tara, morichika shobi hay!
Dhorte gele shobi kamon dur akashe milie jay
Futchhe kata, daler khocha khachhi ami nirontor
Keu janena amar kotha, eshob nehat obantor”.

Bolle kobi muchki hese, “Hay re tora bokar dol!
Brithai amon berash kede, brithai felish chokher jol
Katar khochay rokto jhore ei kotha to notun noy
Kintu shathe osru-khoron bahulyo boi kichhui noy.

Tui ki bhabis tori sudhu roechhe pother ei kata?
Tor kopalei likhchhe shudhu rokto-makha paye hata?
Dakh takie! Tori sathe hatchhe pothe oi jara
Sobar payei roechhe khoto, sobai ora potha hara.

Harano poth khujbo bolei namchhi pothe protteke
Hasir gane poth khuje ni. Kamon kore, jash dekhe.
Pother hodish pothi debe, pabii fire shob kichhu
Nijer chhaya ghurie mare, nish ne kobhu or pichhu.

Ichhera to gachher pata, nei re oder mrityubhoy
Shukno pata porle jhore notun patar jonmo hoy.
Patay-patay laf die jash, ichheguloy bhor kore
Doure berash Kathbirali, jamon khushi, praan bhore..

......Chitrak Gupta

The Refugee Memories

The thoughts come unimpeded
Like the burst of red ants from the volcano of the ant hill
And the stream of red that follows downhill
As they thread down in a crooked line
Searching for a new life
A new meaning
A new existence
The lava of thoughts as they pour down
Burn down the path the ants take
The trajectory of a life with sense
The red dot asks, the path is no more
How will I find the way to a new home?
The being asks, there is no more a meaning
How will I find the way back to life??