Light Travels
Keith Waldrop
1
common time I follow you un-
kept secret on
a basic undersound
aksar maen khufia baat ko
khufia baat banaey rakhta hoon
2
common time I follow you un-
kept secret on
a basic undersound
this is the first part of the rhyme
allow for sequences of overheard
ye meri dhun ka pehla hissa hai
suni baatoN ko an aanay do
3
this is the first part of the rhyme
allow for sequences of overheard
close the curtains but
playful elaborations of other-
wise arrogant variations keeping
the window open
kidki pe parday laga lo
magar rakho khula is ko
magroor vidhataaon ko aanay k liyay
4
close the curtains but
playful elaborations of otherwise
arrogant variation keeping
the window open
as it's wrong to shut
one's eyes to dream
it's raining while it is in fact raining
kyonk k ye galat baat hai
k tum swapnay na dekho
baarash honay k jab baarash hoti hai
(to be continued)
5
as it's wrong to shut
one's eyes to dream it's
raining while it is in fact raining
ears busied with hearing more than
one voice the stream our tears unmirror
6
ears busied with hearing more than
one voice the stream our tears unmirror
or mere error as if
naturally hard of
divided
noise rings in our fears
7
or mere error as if
naturally hard of
divided
noise rings in our fears
expands danger within our
long thin hands contract
across quiet gravel
8
expands danger within our
long thin hands contract
across quiet gravel
narrow fruit tin cans
loss of the white of other eyes
9
narrow fruit tin cans
loss of the white of other eyes
song out of mind
10
song out of mind
or am I
tethered
so blind a coloring of thought
11
or am I
tethered so
blind a coloring of thought
intrinsically fuzzy the sound as
pavement
12
intrinsically fuzzy the sound as
pavement
whereas tenses
are
a later
development
13
whereas tenses
are
a later
development
limits of a body open
sea the great sea
journey
14
limits of a body open
sea the great sea
journey
how different the grammars of
to think or swim
15
how different the grammars of
to think or swim
reminiscence and extinction
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem