Bring back

I wonder if I belonged
To any continent,
To any bordered territory!
The answer is no
Thank goodness though
For I belong to the world.
Unlike you, you, and you
I have a bird's eye view.

If atonement is not
Your cup of tea,
Then given the chance
You'll rewrite the same story,
The crimes will repeat,
You will bring back your defeat
All at once
You'll pollute the air,
Poison the seas.

My words with its wings,
Will break down the walls,
True or false;
Will bring back the long lost
Golden garden
Right here, in a trance
Where flowers will bloom,
Paradise will fall.

My feathers off the cage,
Light and free
I neither belong
To your continent,
Nor to your country.
Reborn in your backyard
I am this Bard
That belongs to the world.

Disclaimer : in English, 'You' is also an indefinite pronoun. 

Men and women of words

Men and women of words

Eyes!
Instantly identify
A tiny black spot
From an impeccably
Clean, white shirt.

Ears!
Listen to class.
Miss the speech.

Hands!
Tired to clap.
Unwilling to hold.
Indomitable fists
Relentless, hurt, hit
Seldom fold, and fetch.

Arms!
Linked with weapons,
Unwilling to stretch.

Feet!
Eager to kick.
At other times, fleet.

Brain!
Left or right
Unfortunate guide.

Tongue!
Less said the better!

With all of these
Junk products in our factory
We run companies
In liquidated glory.

We set out to talk about peace,
We march, sometimes with candles
Sometimes with trees,
We are ashamed in books,
Not on the field.

Despite angry peace NGOs,
Well-meaning CEOs,
We do nothing to throw
The weapons from our minds
So our organs could function
In their original version.

Our junk actions come out
In disguised words,
Get willingly lost
In verbosity, in plastic sagacity,
Simplicity is discarded
As impotent
Meek, inept, redundant.

Of peace and other jargons,
We talk, we talk;
Left; left; left, right, left,
We talk, we talk, we talk,
We talk,... 

Yesterday

Yesterday I learned a word
I almost forgot
And that was
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!
Believe me I never felt so young
So charged, so animated.
I'm sure this cold storage of a place
Got back its hold, its togetherness.

Come, my dear friend
I seek your forgiveness
I was wrong, I am sorry
No worries please.
Enlighten the space
Write your charming stories
If we cannot work together
Let's leave each other at peace. 

Foreign monster

Others can never define you.
No matter how hard
They use their gray matter
They will succumb
Neither arrive, nor come.

If you want peace
You will find it,
Deep within.
Vaille que vaille...
You will be able
To kill your foreign monster. 

Relax

Relax

Don't take your
Time and space
Too seriously
Bad times...
A hiccup.
Walk past
Why'd you talk
And think about them
Why'd you
Create a storm
In the cup. 

Empty words

Empty words

How's it a global village, 

Where a country's failure

Is another's success, 

Not the whole world's shame?

Words, only words

For better or for worse, 

Playing the blind blame game.

Ganges is connected to Amazon

Like lungs is to kidney

Dubai is linked to London

Like Surat is to Sidney.

Palestine is connected to Hong Kong

Like heart is to brain

Zimbabwe is linked to Wellington

Like forests to gardens. 

The world, much like all sentient beings

Has cells, tissues, enzymes, bones, arteries and veins

You may call them villages and cities

You may regard them as rivers, oceans, seas and mountains. 

When you are dumping garbage

Onto the weaker periphery

Remember this please, 

That you maybe healing your elbows

But you're hurting your knees. 

In between your part 

Of the world and mine

Stand lonely borders; selfish, alert,

Only empty words shine. 

Empty words cannot lure

As boosters of the Game

When a country's failure

Is taken, as the whole world's shame. 

Whatever has been our past

Walls will fall, wars can never last. 

However scarlet 

The stage might have been

Peace will gain its ground

It's bound to rise and win.

One long stretch

Somewhere in between
Dalal and Wall streets
Lies one long stretch
Where there's zero wealth
Where people starve to death.

Double role

An urchin, with dreamy eyes
Is learning to limp.
He's also rehearsing as a blind
Child. Double role! Shh!
He's behind a spacious debris,
Exposed under broad daylight.
Yet safe, hidden, unfrequented --
An overlooked green room.

He has to perform
On the real, certain,
Unsuspecting stage
Where curtains don't rise,
Nor do they fall.

Luckily, he has got the richest
Road as his zone.
Here, Impalas, Mercs, BMWs galore.
Of course, he had to pay
Ramu chacha*
A handsome amount
For occupying the space,
But that's okay!
It's an unwritten rule.

Rich, happy, kind families
Of leaders, diplomats, VIPs,
Healthy, wealthy and wise
Have to be fooled
With his disguise,
So they shower on him
Noisy coins,
Mouthwatering goodies.

As the only young male,
He has to feed a family.
Two ailing parents.
Three mongrels.
Four sisters,
Blind, crippled
violated, pregnant.
All tough cookies,
Stony eyes.

*chacha - uncle

Anger

Avoid using anger to claim
Your world, no matter what.
Choose your words,
Use them diligently,
Like a driver on a freeway.
Remember.
Anger is a grass that
Doesn't serve any purpose.

Beyond you

You can snatch my land,
My property, severe
Everything as far as I can see,
But you cannot separate
Me from my memories.

You can go away
For good, asunder
All that belonged to us
But the stories
We wrote together.

Camaraderie

You can snatch my land,
My property, severe
Everything I can touch and see
But you cannot separate
The sky from me
Such is our camaraderie.

Sky is the limit

Blue witness
Hanging from above
Sees every action
Doesn't praise, condemn
Always present,
As the silent friend.

Shelters the stars
And the clouds,
Drops water and light
On the blue planet
Every moment, anew
Without judgement.

O firmament!
I want to be like you.

Charming fellow

Charming fellow

You are perpetually in disguise
I am in splits at your wit and humour
But I sense a hatred, hidden inside
To the point I cannot believe my eyes,
What do you want beloved actor?
Are you a Chaplin, or a Hitler?

Come out of your shell,
You beautiful soul.
Liberate yourself from this helpless hell
Say hello to your outstanding role.

Kill all your judgements with practice and skill,
You'll certainly feel the presence of love
That's when you'll really heal.
Kindness will shower from above.

Everyone around you will instantly know
You are a genuine friend, not a faking foe.

Use your sense first, before you follow
An actor, a destroyer, or just a simple guy,
Whatever you do, never hurt, nor lie.
Instead of harming, be a charming fellow.

Outstanding civilisation

Outstanding civilisation 👏👏👏

We are stern.
We are Western.
We teach the world
How to talk, walk
Sit, shit, sing, dance
Play, pray, prey, fuck, suck.

We are born to govern.
Of our skin, we are 'con'scious
We are always scornful of others.

We are the originators
Of world wars.
Gifted disasters beyond pardon
But carried the white man's burden.
We're superiors.
We're superiors.
They're inferiors.
They're inferiors.
They're blacks.
They're brown.
Bloody niggers.

We have civilized the world
With our language and beverage.
Our dictionary is full of kind words.
We are proudly cruel, clannish, racist, renowned for our elegant rage.
We were thieves in the past.
Now we're one of the richest countries
In the global village.

We have looted, ransacked the world
With all kinds of arms and weapons
Under the winsome firmament.
But now, we are the prominent
Forerunners of peace and disarmament.

We are stern.
We are western.
We teach the world
Of most anything
Under the sun.
But we're not here to learn.
This is our curious civilisation.

I want to be

The title is not incomplete
Just in case
You're looking for any suspense.

For the aim inside me
Just wants to be...

The soul wants to bloom
With all its seven properties;
Happiness, power, peace
Love, purity, knowledge, bliss.

With all of these
Priceless qualities
I'm rich, wealthy, wise
I have the stars in my eyes.

I want to be Buddha
Not a Buddhist,
Jesus, not a Christian
Mohammed, not a Muslim
Krishna, not a Hindu.

The world has imprisoned
The guys
In places of worship
With garlands, incense sticks,
Worse still, they're in words
They're bound within scriptures.

They come to me in disguise
In the dead of a night
Whisper all these in my ears...
That they're conditioned in chains
For many many years
With tears in their eyes
Kisses on their lips
They're recounting me these
As bedtime stories,
That they want to be free.

All of this though
I can never share you know.
I wouldn't even dare
To hurt people's sentiment
They'll think of me as irreverent,
As insane, or irrelevant?
But what do I care
I have Him by my side
I'm not afraid anymore
To breathe in their air.

With folded hands,
Genuflecting knees
I would never expect you
To marry me.

But I'd lay bare what they say
In every minute of the day,
Be like us, not follow us
We never killed, nor hated others.
Preaching is more important
Than the Preacher
How could you disrespect the teachings
And claim to love the Teacher?

Live up to the words
Otherwise lifeless,
Act upon them.
You can be who you are
And enjoy being in the game.

Difference

Difference

Thousand candles
Different demeanor
Burning...
From the same flame.

Thousand beings
Different tongues
Speaking...
Of similar feelings.

Thousand flowers
Different fragrance
Celebrating birth...
From the same earth.


All conflicts end
When we close our eyes,
Look at the Source
With our burning soul,
Wisdom surfaces,
Difference dies.

Garbage

Garbage

I can only pray for you
Laudable, pithy, writer
But I will never visit your page
For you've used your talent
By watering a plant that
Breeds hatred, war, dissent
With pedestrian words
Borrowed from your
Hackneyed, hollow world.

You may write very well
But to me
You are far from a poet.

You give water on a plate
To a crane
And smirk at his clumsiness
Why the bird with a long beak
Is not speaking like you
Your language!
How'd you walk the talk
With your foxy jaw
If you were to express
Your jargons in their ways?
Your sanity dear friend
Must have taken a voluntary leave
From consciousness.

Sadder still to see
The support you have bagged
By spilling holy stool
From your flaunting tool;
You did voice the dream
Of your tremendous team.

This stereotype war
Will never ever end
Not at any cost
For you still nurse
A Holocaust
In your brain
What a pity
You are not even conscious
How horribly you're nasty
Our only commonality,
Maybe we're both refugees.

Now I know why my lines
Had to be your faves
This was the only way
You could trap me in your cave
And I could glance what kind
Of a game is cooking inside your mind.

It's such a disgust to see your distaste
Mentioning the name of the place
Where you stayed, looted, plundered, murdered
Like a hungry monster
In a ravenous rage
For centuries of years.

For sure I'm on a different path
I'm not in this tongue-war of a thirsty game
I will pray for peace for sure
Maybe your part of the world
Is beyond cure
You come again as a shameless trader
We'd mark you as a betrayer
We'll show you the door.

The sheer number of bards in your cage
Gives me this blue horror
Of a silent terror
Of a hiss hiss
Towards a role reversal
Of a bunch of unwanted guests.

But I promise you this
I shall never visit your dirty page
For I don't want to feed on garbage.

শর্ত

শর্ত

চিরসবুজ পৃথিবীর বুকে
বৃদ্ধ মন বিদ্ধস্ত,
শর্তের গর্তে ঢুকে
কলহে জর্জরিত।

ভালো লাগা, না লাগার মাঝে
ভালবাসা কাঁদে
ক্ষতবিক্ষত অসুখে।

অবিশ্বাসে ভরা ফ্যাকাশে মনেদের
গা ঘেসে ভেসে ওঠে
ঊষা, গোধূলির উষ্ণ আলিঙ্গন
সৃষ্টি ছাড়া নেই কোন উদ্দেশ্য,
নেই কোন কারণ,
কত ফল, কত ফুল ফোটে
আত্মহারা সুখে।

নিঃস্বার্থ, শর্তহীন ভাবে
তারা মাটির আকাশে
ভাসে, হাসে, জ্বলে
নিষ্পাপ, চিরন্তন পৃথ্বীর কোলে। 

Without you

Of what use is the world
That doesn't speak of your words
Of what use is the craft
That doesn't express your art.

Every letter that reaches your address
Every emotion you lovingly caress
Every little step in your presence
Makes to me, so much of sense. 

On your path I can see the ground
In your ways I am light and sound
I feel complete, with you beside me
I can fly in the sky, I can float on the sea. 

In my ecstasy in my blues
I realized what was true
I am nothing without you
I have nothing without you. 

Warning

The world and its

Cousin, not yet dead.

It's global warming!

Not housewarming.

The party's still not

over I'm afraid.

I am a refugee

I am a refugee
Aren't you also one?
This world, not for me?
Where'd I rather be gone!

I am a refugee.
A nomad.
In no man's land.
I'm perpetually on the run.
My space is lost.
Yours is won.

I'm in exile.
On the lookout
For a ground and a sky,
A cradle I can rely on.
If the world is my graveyard
I wonder where my kingdom lies
And where I belong!

Intelligent, kind leaders
Find us the answer
Where did we come from?
Give us a place
In your global village
Where we could live in solace,
Where we could sing a lullaby
To our babies
Before going to sleep.

Give us a corner
A piece of garden
Laden with trees
Give us a border
A pasture where
We could be at ease;
Play, dance, drink and eat
We could rest in peace.

Dear thinkers
Nothing is permanent
Under the blue firmament
Upon the azure sea
We're all moving travelers,
Nomads, visitors here,
We're all refugees.

আহা বেশ বেশ

আহা বেশ বেশ

বোমা যদি বৌমা হয়
বৌমা টি বোমা
বোমা তবে খেতে দিলে
বারুদেরি বৌমা।

বোমার তেজে হাটে হাঁড়ি
ভাঙে যে সম্মান
বৌমা যখন ফাটে মাঠে
কেঁপে ওঠে প্রাণ।

শব্দ দুটির মধ্যে ফারাক
আছে নাকি বেশ
দুজনেরই দাপটেতে
ঠান্ডা সারা দেশ।

চন্দ্রবিন্দু বিভ্রাট

আরে আস্তে বল রে
চিল্লাস না অমন করে
তোর চন্দ্রবিন্দু গুলি
কোনটা যে কার ঘাড়ে
এসে পড়ে ভীষণ জোরে
তুই শুনেও শুনিস নারে?

তুই কানের মাথা খাস
এমনি বোকা গাধা!
সাত পাকে বাঁধা কিনা
পড়ে সাত পাঁকে বাধা! 

আরেকটু

ছোটবেলায় মা যাই
দিত পাতে,
বলতাম, 'আরেকটু',
আলতো হেসে,
কখনো মৃদু রেগে
মা দিত আমায় সব
আরেকটু ভালবেসে।

যখন খুব ছোট,
বাবা কোল থেকে নামিয়ে দিলেই
দুহাত বাড়িয়ে দিয়ে
বলতাম 'আরেকটু'
বাবা আমায় তখন
আবার কোলে তুলে,
পৌঁছে দিত স্কুলে।

পেতাম যা চাইতাম আরেকটু,
আরেকটু খাবার, আরেকটু আদর
'আরেকটু থাক না', বলতাম পিসি
মামমাম, কাকি, মামির চটি
লুকিয়ে রেখে।
এইভাবে বড় হওয়া হলো
সকলের মাঝে, সময়ের সাথে।

ধীরে ধীরে, একটু একটু করে
বাবা, মা আর যত বড়রা ছিল
চলে গেল সব একে একে
কালের হাত ধরে,
'আরেকটু থাক', বলেছি কত
ডুকরে উঠে কেঁদে।

কোলাহলের মাঝে
স্মৃতিরা যখন আসে
আজ, আমারই আসেপাশে
আমি তাদের সাথী হয়ে
থেকে যেতে বলি,
আরেকটু আমার সাথে।

এখন যখন খেতে বসি একা?
তাকাই এদিক, ওদিক?
মায়ের গন্ধে ম ম করে যখন
ঘরের চারিদিক!
তখন নিজেকেই বলি 'আরেকটু',
মুচকি হেসে ঠিক!

Simple style

Simple style

Yes I have learned

Some lessons,

But I've completely

Erased my past.

Good riddance

Thank goodness

What a pleasant

Gift this present

Is! I can move on

Now at ease,

Light and fast.

What seemed impossible

Just a while ago

With a simple smile

I found my long lost style;

Walking past my ego,

A diffident debutant,

Or a seasoned CEO

I let the intruder, the horrible

Imposter go.

Dream

If it's your dream

Go live it!

Don't leave it dead

Half on the bed

Half in your head;

Let it come out

On the stage,

Off your own

Nay saying cage

Let it be up and about.