Pradeep Biswal (Voices Within 2023)

Pradeep Biswal is a bilingual poet writing both in Odia and English. He has seven poetry collections in Odia and two in English (A House Within, Pilgrimage to Ayodhya). His poems have been translated into Hindi, Punjabi and Telugu and got published in separate volumes. He is a distinguished editor and translator as well. His creative life spans over four decades and his poems have been anthologised at national and international level. A retired IAS officer, Mr Biswal is staying in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. He can be reached at pbiswal804@gmail.com

Catching Up

Catching up
With the butterflies
Is no longer possible
These days
My wings are clipped.
Those sunny days
Are no more. 
The butterflies
Used to fly around
The flowers bloomed
The dreams had wings
To fly too.
The childhood
Had its charm
A carefree life
Caterpillars turn into
Butterflies
The wings flutter freely
In the air
There was nothing
To be afraid of.
Life is no more
The same
The butterflies
Vanished quickly
In the thin air
Not to reappear again.

 

 

Dancing Days

Those days
In a sleepy village
Surrounded by nature
In full bloom
The stream flowing nearby
I cherish today.
Bullocks running
On the dusty roads
The evening bells ringing
In the temple premises
The morning prayer
In the school
Still reverberate
In my ears.
The moon and stars
Shining bright
In the open sky
Dispelling darkness
Of the night
Missing in the metro city.
Life has come
A full circle
The childhood memories
Lurking inside
I cherish those
Dancing days
In my midnight dreams.

 

 

I Have Nothing To Say

 

I am cursed    

To be born a woman. 

You disrobed me

Paraded me naked 

Assaulted me

Raped me 

In broad daylight 

I have nothing to say !

My eyes are dry

My vessels too

My lips are tight 

I can’t cry

I can’t shout 

I can’t ooze blood. 

Leave me to pray 

Silently tonight. 

Oh God

Forgive these brutes 

They don’t know 

Their sins.

(In solidarity with the Manipur women)

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Setu, November 2023 :: Voices Within 2023