Captive Poem by Gayatri Phukan

Captive

..... Gayatri Phukon

I thought so long
I gave him all happiness
In front of my eyes he has grown up
Slowly and slowly his eyes has got the language
Sometimes he looks intently
Through the whole of the window pane
He broods over something
He knows how to be stubborn
There is no dearth of
Fish, meat and milk
For him only
When I return from work
He waits for me in the barandha
If anyone comes to my home
He welcomes the guests
Sometimes I think
Of the happiness of his mind
I take him out to wander about
To find a companion for him
Again I made him captive
He has not gone out for long time

I am also captive at home
Like him
Eating sumptuous food
Lying on bed,
Getting up from bed,
Taking food,
Sometimes taking rest
Watching movies and serials
Again I eat
Again I lie on bed
I get panic sometimes
Gasping for breath
Like the fish of shallow water
I am getting everything
Whatever I need
Yet I am unhappy
I can't go out
Opening the gate
When I want to go out
I cannot go for shopping
I can't meet my friends
For the first time
I can perceive
How unhappy he is
If I let him go out
Caressing with all might
Whether he will be able to win
In the battle of survival
Whether he will be able to snatch
His piece of bread to satisfy his hunger
I have not trained him to fight
Like my pet dog.

Translated from Assamese into English by Shakil Ahmed.