The Country Poem by GOBINDA SAHOO

Climb it in the formula of steps of the date palm
you provoked to climb
they have but slowly touched the end
Okay! At the offer of a mere seat
you claim the entire building.
Now tackle.

Despite denial, you gave the crocodile all the fish of river
to monkey the blackberry plant. Enough!
Affinity among the two developed as a pair of dress
signals and the traits of thieves and dacoits.
Now see-
like the land-eating boundary,
as if molasses exceeding the quantity of flour
the nuisance of the rascals on street echo
the stains of blood
the police say it is betel spittle
while the press reports it is
The alta stain of beautiful maiden's feet.

Did you ever respect the rebuff
while sweet discourse you offered
to the mouth of ill motivated mind
and for the belly the stinking-poison
like the storm in a tea-cup
the weapons of suits
as if opportunity to the scapegoat showered
festive and scriptures to the jestive,
loads of wealth to the looters
the navel string of agenda of poverty alleviation
soothing song to the sycophants and rascals
valour, age and big bazaar of luxury
to the black marketers
throne to the cheats you gave.

They took away, for you offered them
the village, the dusk, the village deity
The heaven of sweaty ancestral homestead
sometimes hacking our jungle
or looting all the water of youthful river
wiped out all the blue oceans
from the children's heaven
virgin sign in the hamlet of the golden moon.
It has pained a lot you know-
for they looted the innocence of father,
Laxmipurana of the mother,
breasts of the sister
and a pair of working hands of the young brother.

To you false and true to me
the place where I intend to step in
there the agri-loan to the sweeper arrested
there lies the corpse of cotton farmer Karma Kahanr
waging war for the land the son killed in police shootout
on mother's sari end
has but the song in blood written
wherever you see
you glimpse Kalinga Nagar, Kashipur or Kujanga region
blood and only blood
Will you tell me where you are now!

You've but added to their sinful childhood
taught them the unending anarchy of government and exploitation
stop them, but all in vein.

You but gave away all
except some air for the balloons of the children
What have you possessed now! Would you see?
Running in the lonely hamlet
with countless but helpless feet
as the first stroke of theirs on you has fallen
now will you say-
If it will as a country remain
or the dreams and resource of their pocket turn.


Translated from original Odia 'Desha' of Pitambara Tarai