A Farmer Daughter Poem by Zillur Rahman Shuvro

Once upon a time there was a farmer daughter
She sang with mermaid and with grasshopper.
The stanza of folk song was beautiful
The villagers knew her calm and cool.
She weaved winter-quilt for her father
And she cooked grains of sago for sick mother.
They had poverty but aquarium of happiness
In rainy day she helped those who were helpless.
Her name was Shyamoli but called ‘sweet girl'
Her face was like narcissus and hair was curl.
When she walked in the green-field, the sky
Came down to giggle but she was shy.
In moon-light the old woman of the moon
Whispered to her, ‘A prince is coming soon'.
Really a prince came, but he was feudal prince
He offered to become her concubine, obscene hint
Was in his eyes; blind with rage she slapped him
Day by day disallowed prince was becoming grim.
In a black day the fire of revenge burnt her
At that time the grasshopper was present there.
In pangs of disgrace and shame she jumped
Into the deep water of the river
She didn't know how to swim, floated away forever.
Generation by generation the balloon of this story flies
And thence the anguished and lonely mermaid still cries.