The Descendants Poem by Sanu Sharma

With a bit of mud upon their peak
a pair of tiny birds ventured into our abode.
I asked my mother, tinged with excitement
'Mother! Why have they graced our home? '

'To craft their dwelling, ' replied Mother.

My childhood routine altered—
to oversee the endeavors of those winged beings
and witness the splendid nest they shaped.

Then came the day when Mother uttered,
'The swallows have birthed their offspring.'

Swiftly,
the fledglings matured, mastering the art of flight
and on one uncertain day
they soared away from the nest
yet didn't return.

My heart echoed the emptiness
of the now-deserted nest.

Mother sighed and shared,
'It appears, the fledglings have departed their nests.'

Weary of my persistent inquiries
regarding the rationale behind their departure
Mother, one day, responded with irritation—
'Their progeny has blossomed into adulthood
they've left the haven of the nest
bound to their mates
busy crafting a new abode afar.'

I rushed to Mother
clasped her in a tight embrace, and
with resolute tones, proclaimed,
'Mother! I'll never make another home!
I'll stay forever young! '

***
(Translated from Nepali by Suman Pokhrel)
Note: This translation was first published in Grey Sparrow Journal.