A Bodyguard Poem by Prayag Saikia

The market of life enveloped by silence
A lone bodyguard is awake

If a tiny fire erupts in the Khandava Bana
He is the first casualty

His address will be obliterated
In the song of destiny of dawn

If you survive- you live
If you die, heaven (!)

If you fail
Life (?)

The only path for a weakling like him
…to flee

The market of life enveloped by silence
A lone night guard is awake

His identity (?)
His name is said to be Jeevan Bahadur
In the sheath of his belt
A shining khukri
In his vice-like grip
Is
The slippery baton of life
In his heart- fierce courage
In his eyes- the dream of life

He is employed
In the job of protection
By contribution of so many

The market of life enveloped by silence
A lone bodyguard is awake


Khandava Bana: A mythical forest referred to in the epic Mahabharata, that was devoured by Agni, the god of fire helped by Arjuna and Srikrishna.

(Translated from Original Assamese by Bibekananda Choudhury)