We've Turned Into Islands Poem by Siddique Mahmudur Rahman

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
There are hundreds of miles apart from each of these islands
Or lofty mountains between one another, or frightening abyss!
Temperament, upbringing, mood, action and deeds
Of each of us are totally different.
As if a herbivorous does not see come near a carnivorous.
If, suddenly, by any chance we come close
Unexpectedly, all at once,
We dare to identify each other.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
One can not recognize each other's speech, it turns illogical
Meaning of one's dialogue turns to be totally different to other
When one smiles, the other think s it to be crying
If one weeps, the other imagines it as mockery,
As if he is frowning, or is malevolent.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
Somebody, as if, lives in polar area, the other in the dry desert
One is staying in the swamp, the other in prairie.
In a vast grassland, there's no shady tree exist.
Some live in dense forest
The person who lives in the next flat is an alien.
The neighbour is absolutely unfamiliar, talks a different language
We find difficult in keeping union with relative
Lest he requests for loan, or any favour.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
Bounded, as if we live in eggs, shelled from outside
We do not dare to come out of the boundary.
We lost all the powers to break the crust.
We do not feel sympathy with the pains of others
We can't share other's happiness.
We do not have no feelings left in us.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
Self-centered, greedy, vindictive, jealous,
Envious,selfish.
Head over heels, in blood, flesh and nerves we're abhorrent
We're insensitive, we dare to stand beside a distressed person
As if his pains by any means shall spread over us
If my child, my inmates get attacked!
Its better we live far away from them.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
Gratitude is a word that is unknown to us.
We forget about the favours we got from others
We are shameless, brazen, blatant
But we never fail to snatch other's share
We feel great satisfaction in it.
As if it's my share, I shall take
Its their duty to give away.

Each of us now have turned into isolated islands
We feel great pain in sharing anything with others
But are very rapid in taking advantage
Then we forget, or we behave as being forgetful
Or we evade ourselves from the prick of conscience.
Lest we have to show gratitude,
Lest we have to assist or help him.
Lest we have to spend a penny
One single penny is each of our limbs
We feel pain in detaching with it
We feel great pain indeed.

Each of us have turned into
Isolated islands now.

Original in Bangla by Siddique MahmudurRahman