My dream was to be a Jane Austen - or a Virginia Woolfe, whose 'stream of consciousness' touched the world,
or Kadambari - the muse who inspired the Bard in Bengali Literature.
a few fearless women -
...
I am enjoying everything! With your eyes!
the incessant rain on a valley, the blessing of a sun-kissed day,
the snow-capped mountain-peaks,
the glorious sandy beach, the glow
...
If my life is like a river, not all pebbles are shiny;
If my life is like a flower, not all petals are smooth;
...
when for a hushed moment I close my eyes,
all I see is a dreamlike abode…
cradled among an enchanting landscape…
of roses, and dahlias, and chrysanthemums,
...
you wished, you would travel the world with me,
but didn't say a word,
how would I know what your thought was,
unless you opened your heart?
...
The caged bird was in a golden cage,
The bird from the woods in the forest,
...
Shadharan Meye - (An Ordinary Girl) - Translation from Rabindranath Tagore
I am a girl from the inner court,
You don't know me.
...
If I say,
you are exquisitely beautiful!
To me, Apsara in Indian myths!
You laugh, and don't believe me at all!
...
বসন্ত এলো দ্বারে, কি যে কথা বলি তারে!
নিয়ে এসো পলাশের রং, ভরে দাও মোর থালি,
সুরের আবেশ দাও মোর গানে,
কোকিলের কুহূতানে উঠুক সঞ্চারি!
...
the yellow bird is back to the tranquil meadow where my soul finds true repose,
she didn't leave me....
I speak to her every day,
she tweets back with glee!
...
তুমি কি একটি সুন্দর কবিতা?
তুমি যাই বলো, আমার কাছে কবিতার মতো মনে হয় কেন?
করুন এক গানের সুরের মতো মনে হয়,
মধুর এক নাম-না-জানা পাখীর ডাকের মতো মনে হয়,
...
My father's garden afar cradled in my lavender memory, had serene chrysanthemums,
ravishing dahlias, along with smiling zinnias,
he dreamed of a life around those astounding flowers.
digging, and watering, and pruning the hedges,
...
I wonder - why my heart doesn't cry out any longer...
sorrows, aches, crushed dreams...
nothing happens..nothing shakes my heart,
nothing sways me away, no murmer,
...
isn't it strange that many years ago,
a dainty lass wore a yellow poncho,
and twirled around in her garden like a golden butterfly,
a little boy watched her...couldn't erase the memory the rest of his life!
...
When the chilly wind starts blowing from the North,
I don't curse the wind,
But lovingly admire the birds and their merry chirping for the last time this year,
And locate my most preferred shawl!
...
every night I have dreams -
dream about you, dream about us,
dream about the life we never had, the days which rolled away like sapphire waves ~
dream about the ethereal childhood,
...
if all of a sudden I come across you in the street of gariahat,
crossing the road to the other side,
where I was waiting! after twenty-five years!
I would probably gaze and gaze,
...
We were travelling in a train -
My mother, my sister, me,
and my father.
My father had an interview with a prestigious company,
...
a peaceful room in the midst of my garden! My tranquil sanctuary!
the end of a day when I drown myself in memory!
the birds stopped chirping!
they are going back to their nests-
...
If you forget me....
Why you didn't - I wonder!
Many many years ago, in a small cottage-garden,
We were frolicking together,
...
I am a teacher in Canada, Creative writing is my passion. My early years were spent in India, and some later years in the Middle East. I am finally settled in Canada, and enjoying my teaching profession. Writing is my first passion, but I also learn, practise and enjoy music and art. I am an avid reader from my early childhood - I read both epic and modern writers - from Iliad, Odyssey and Shakespeare to P.G. Wodehouse, to Elena Ferrante and Kazuo Ishiguro. The book which is always on my desk is Gitanjali, the collection of songs by Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel-laureate Poet Of India. Poetry is an expression of thoughts, feelings and reflections. My life-experiences get expressed in my poems and short stories. I prefer expressing my reflections and thoughts with simplicity (avoiding verbiosity) and depth. At present I am working on a memoir which covers my family's history and my life in three different countries with rich and varied cultures. I write equally in two languages - in English, and also in Bengali, which is a regional language in the eastern part of India. I have translated a few famous Bengali poems (mainly by Rabindranath Tagore) in English and posted them on Poetry sites. Hope to publish a collection of translations in future. I create videos with my own poems and poems by famous writers, and also create audio-books from English and Bengali literature. I post them on You Tube - please subscribe to Malabika Ray Choudhury Channel, if you are interested. I work on a few forms of rare art - eggshell decorations, copper-tooling and batik are some of them.)
Woman In My Dream
My dream was to be a Jane Austen - or a Virginia Woolfe, whose 'stream of consciousness' touched the world,
or Kadambari - the muse who inspired the Bard in Bengali Literature.
a few fearless women -
Debjani, and Gandhari, and Draupadi, from Indian classics,
but before anyone else,
I want to be the woman who appears in my dream!
never went to school, she was not allowed,
picked up any paper when sweeping the floor,
and read - she was warned - women became widows if they read,
she was unstoppable!
she had ten kids - two still-births,
she cooked for thirty people every day, ate after she fed everyone,
she hand-knitted blankets, to keep children warm,
prayed every day for everyone she knew
and for the universe.
my grandmother, and so many women like her,
started a revolution, carried the torch,
Without realizing the legacy they left for us,
the burden they lifted for us!
did they see us - the women of today
in the horizon?
the modern, liberated, emancipated women,
we are today,
we go to school and choose our career,
we decide to marry or not, who to marry,
we raise our children with confidence,
we don't ask for money, we earn money,
we lead, we invent, we do miracles.
sorry Jane Austen, I would rather be my Grandma's granddaughter,
before anyone else!
I feel honoured to have discovered such a great poet of our times in you. I pray God to keep you alive and active in this field for many more years. Thanks for being in our site, the Poem Hunter.