Neera Poems – Sunil Gangopadhyay

This Scene

Your chin on your knees, you sit there,
blue striped sari
In a dream your hair flowing on your back
Countless butterflies in the air or are they
all skyflowers
Your chin on your knees, you sit there,
your eyes
Famously distant, a red glow on your toes
On your right hand, the index finger, a
smear of ink
You were writing just a while ago
A fragrance in the air, evening prayers
begin somewhere
Night comes from another land, it will be
late today
Your chin on your knees, you sit there, in
the veins
Of art there’s an excitement, in art’s eyes
are
Fireworks
Like restless glances, like fireflies, the
charming lies fly away
I cannot even remember I was unhappy
once
Your chin on your knees, you sit there,
time does not stop
I know, one day death will come and take
me away
Across the horizon
New men will appear, build a new society
A new breeze will wipe out the old breaths
But still, today
Your chin on your knees, you sit there,
this pose
These locks of flowing hair on your back
The smear of ink on your finger
This scene is forever, immortality will
make friends with it
Your chin on your knees, you sit there

From
Neera
Poems
Sunil Gangopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha