Category Archives: Poetry 2023

ADR poetry published in 2023

Leaves by F. J. Bergmann 

 

after Two Devils for Tea, Kelli Hoppmann, oil on panel, 2004

Leaves

You always made two cups of steaming tea, one for him
and one for you. Your tea was calming; you did not say
what his was intended to do. Even so, your muzzle
would sometimes wrinkle and twitch, your eyes glow

red. He could not tell when you were looking at him.
When he began discreetly pouring out his smoky tea into
the houseplants, they flourished as if you had spoken
to them every day for a year, given them pet names.

Continue reading Leaves by F. J. Bergmann 

They by Kumar Hassan

They

Translated from ‘The Odia’ by Pitambar Naik

They’re wandering outside with the guns and urging us
to be in peace
they’re torching house after house and village after village
and claiming to have driven away the darkness
they’re killing people with no conflict and talking to remain
consoled after the enemy is slayed.

Letting us hold the chit of the suffrage of our voting right
they’re pulling us to be enslaved
stamping over the people under various parties by
disfiguring, splitting, slashing, kneading and decimating
only to say you’re complete.

They’re raping women and giving the sermon on
women empowerment
having opened the factory of unemployment, they’re
promising a thousand employments in thousand days
picking up the neighbor’s skullcap in trident they’re
talking of secularism.

Shooting the democracy, they’re hailing the victory
of Ram in the country
having opened the breweries, they’re talking of
liquor prevention.

Depriving the citizens of their rights and dismantling
the constitution and the judiciary
they’re talking about civil rights
selling the country out to the hands of the foreign land
they’re talking about patriotism.

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In Punjabi [reprinted with permission]:

ସେମାନ

ସେମାନେ ବାହାରେ ବଂଧୁକ ଧରି ବୁଲୁଛନ୍ତି ଓ ଆମକୁ
ଶାନ୍ତିରେ ରହିବାକୁ କହୁଛନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ଘରକୁ ଘର, ଗାଁ କୁ ଗାଁ ଜାଳି ଦେଉଛନ୍ତି
ଓ ଅଂଧାର ଦୂର କରିଥିବାର କଥା କହୁଛନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ନିର୍ବିବାଦରେ ମଣିଷକୁ ମାରୁଛନ୍ତି
ଓ ଶତ୍ରୁକୁ ନିଧନ ପରେ ଆଶ୍ବସ୍ତ ରହିବା କଥା କହୁଛନ୍ତି
ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରର ମତାଧିକାର’ର ଚିଟ୍ ଖଣ୍ଡେ ଧରାଇ,
ସେମାନେ ପୁଣି ଥରେ ଦାସତ୍ବର ଅର୍ଗଳି ଭିତରକୁ ଟାଣି ନେଉଛନ୍ତି
ସେମାନେ ମଣିଷକୁ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ଦଳର ଦଳାଦଳିରେ ବାଂଟି , କାଟି, ଚକଟି
ଖଣ୍ଡିତ କରୁଛନ୍ତି ଓ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣାଙ୍ଗ ହେଲେ ବୋଲି କହୁଛନ୍ତି

ସେମାନେ ନାରୀ ମାନଙ୍କୁ ବଳତ୍କାର କରି ସେମାନେ ନାରୀସଶକ୍ତିକରଣ
କଥା କହୁଛନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ବେକାରି’ର ମହାର୍ଘ କାରଖାନା ଖୋଲି
ହଜାରେ ଦିନରେ ହଜାରେ କାମର ପ୍ରତିଶ୍ରୁତି ଦେଉଛନ୍ତି
ସେମାନେ ପଡିଶାର ଟୋପି ତ୍ରିଶୂଳ ରେ
ଟେକି ଧର୍ମନିରପେକ୍ଷତା’ର ଦୁଆ ଉଠଉଛନ୍ତି ସେମାନେ ଗଣତନ୍ତ୍ରକୁ ଗୁଳି କରି
ଦେଶରେ ରାମ ରାଜ୍ୟର ଜୟଘୋଷ କରୁଛନ୍ତି
ସେମାନେ ମଦ ଦୋକାନ ଖୋଲି ନିଶା ନିବାରଣ କରିବାକୁ କହୁଛନ୍ତି
ସେମାନେ ନାଗରିକମାନଙ୍କ ଅଧିକାର ଲୁଟି ସଂବିଧାନ, ନ୍ୟାୟପାଳିକାକୁ
ଖିନଭିନ୍ କରି ନାଗରିକ ଅଧିକାର ‘କଥା ଉଠାଉଛନ୍ତି
ସେମାନେ ଦେଶକୁ ବିଦେଶ ହାତରେ ଟେକି, ଦେଶ ଭକ୍ତିର ସ୍ଲୋଗାନ୍ ଦେଉଛନ୍ତି ।

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Editor’s Note/Image Credit: Symbolic image—stop the violence [Elena kamphuis/Unsplash].