Salt & Betrayers Poem by Malay Roy Choudhury

Salt & Betrayers


You touched my sweat with your tongue
Abontika, and had said, ‘Ah salty beauty
heart of heart…scent of masculinity…'
That day, from Police custody to Court
rope tied to my waist and handcuffed
I walked along with murderers hoodlums;
circus loving crowd on both sides of road.

The betrayers, who volunteered in
court to testify against me, said, when
they came down from witness-box, ‘No,
the sweat was sweet and not salty; thus
no question of treachery could arise-
and should not be marked as Betrayers.'
(Translation of Noon O Nimakharami)
Kolkata,2005