Great Great-Poet Poem by Kanishka SricharanPratap

'Is greater than Vyasa? '
: Yes.

'Is greater than Valmiki? '
: Yes.

'Then they are greater than
Brahma Vishnu Maheswar! '
: Yes, greater.

'How? '
Asked the grandson.

I said:
Listen,
A male poet
Has composed this theory:

''You see and see...
I am drying the shadow
On a rope of sunlight.
Who does not
Understand this,
He has no head.''

An eunuch poet
Has shown the path
To salvation:
''Turn the sorrows
Into a stem of betel-leaf
Smear lime-paste on it,
And thrust
Into a paddy-bag.
Then the sorrows will ripe
You get the Nirvan.''

Another
Who has no phallus
Has declared war:
''Who?
Who are you Iswar?
Where do you live?
You have created
Only one Universe,
But in a moment
I can create
Crores of Universe.''

My grandson
Looked at me in surprise
And said:
'Grandpa,
Please recite a poem
Of a lady poet.'

I said:
Ok... listen,
How a lady poet
Opened the truth:
''Opening Sari
Skirt
Bra
Panties
I must declare thousand times,
Where the Sun
Cannot reach,
There, a poet enters in.''

My grandson danced in joy
And clapped.

Then said:
'Grandpa,
Right, since today
I must be a poet,
Shall write poems,
Shall enter... enter... only enter...
Enter everywhere,
Cheat the Sun's father! '



Translated from Odia by
Subash Chandra Mohapatra