Recollections Of A Devil Poem by Dwitun Basumatary

The devils walked free then.
Their spiral dances, the sons of night!
Speaking to a sword, or clutching a throat,
Snaring in silence of their wands.
The morning stars aloud sang in joy
So life was whirling amid the suns.

They wore girdle like the stars.
Like of cultured ways: the crafts and the lies.
Here stalks a Principality, featureless faced
Along the moon bathed sands of Samarkand
With bronze helmet & phoenix wand
Thither I go; I seek-but what I do not know!

I slept in the marshes under the lotus
And in hidden gulfs that never saw the sun
Or walked the deep ocean floors;
Peeped the storehouses of snow and hail
Relaxed amidst crocodiles and coast serpents
For I was born long long before they conceived.

I knew the channels for heavy rain,
The paths east winds whooshed away,
The directions lightnings scatters home.
For we often counted the storm clouds
And watched the pyramids raise-
In the Egyptian plains of bronzed snake.

I've just risen newly to greet the Sun
An eternal Spirit to manifest the unseen;
Waiting in glory in a morning shrine.
Where wolves drink, drinks I
Upon a black bat's back I fly
Storms, sunsets, star-shine and moonfall.

I laugh eagerly at the sound of war
And greet out to meet the weapons
Howling majestically and most beautiful!
Dreaded horrors? Ha! I fear not
I pass thee by; more than thou am I!
From thy flame I weave my maiden spell.