Badal Devi Chamling
It was not in my notice
that I went treading mango-saplings—
those
dispersed on the way
to bazaar.
I wheeled back then
spied over them
facing up
and the other down;
how fast my limbs so affectionately lowered
to shoulder them up!
My daughter was having a wary peek at me.
I susurrated to her:
“Look!
They have swung down from the tree.”
I released my palms to flatten
with hope
that they would win back their consciousness
and play boisterously;
Actually, I had mistaken those saplings
for my baby boy
deceased recently.
I fell into pieces
and
moved on mewling!
(Translated by the poet herself)
[A teacher by profession, poet Chamling has published two anthologies of poems: Patheghar and Birya Jameen.]
