Sumanta Dhar

Often life stops at me

As if to gasp a few more ounce of air
...

When in the dark a lamp is lit up,

Often in the halo of the illumination,
...

Shall you live well,
Then never try to understand life,
Said somebody teacher-like,
And all students in unison said,
...

How many days?
I do not know,
One will allow me
Just to scribble.
...

I wish one day
I fill up all the pages
Churn out all the thoughts
From the maze of my mind
...

A few nameless faces
A few faceless names
Walk through lane after lane
They vanish at one turn of the street
...

Across the railway tracks
There are shabby houses
Mortars peeling off from the walls
Somewhere an unimaginative paint
...

Often I pretend
To put up a fight
With my future
Like a shadow
...

When the dusk sets in
And the street lamps shimmer
The tiny shop at the corner of the lane
Starts serving fried brinjals and other oil fries
...

The yellow taxi
Pulls on slowly
Near the flower bedecked gate
The smell of one night stale petals
...

A few people
Standing there
Are gossiping
On the fate of their nation
...