18 August 1946 Poem by Pradip Saikia

Six hungry boys were weeping under a column of fire
In Rajabazar
Swords sucked our blood piercing our neck

Petrified by the wave of fire
Medhua Bazar
Upper Circular Road

A shuddering naked girl - the two storeyed building
The all skin and bone dogs - hungry prostitutes of Rajnarayan Street
The fair boy of twenty four years under the silk shirt
The last one of the predatory sky about to fall upon the head

Suddenly a shrill cry from the stairs of the upper floor
Spatter of vermilion on the shattered mirror
Whirlwind cold circular echo

In another scene
A burning man in the Room No.12 of the hell
A dead body of a reddened verandah
Wailing of the darkness

Even today I search in the rooms destroyed by sleep
The shadow of the boy
The manuscript of poems immured in police custody
The face of the red sun of the bloodied dream of future

# Translated from Assamese to English by: Bibekananda Chowdhury