Precious Letters Original: Assamese: Gayatri Phukan Translation: Bibekananda Choudhury Poem by Gayatri Phukan

The precious letters with calligraphic handwriting has disappeared
The yellow fragrant flowerlike words have disappeared
Now no one waits for the peon
In the expectation that he would carry blood-red news of bloomimg flowers.
The peon departs ringing the bell
No damsel looks back
No youth asks
Is there a letter addressed to me?
A letter from my beloved tinged with colour of my beloved
If only I could write a letter
A letter of love with the blue words
My emotion would have surged in expectation of a reply

Modernization has killed the precious letters with calligraphic handwriting
If only I could write a letter
A letter of woven with words of love
A precious letter

The precious letters disappeared
The green hearts disappeared too
The blood red news of heart disappeared