The last shelter

This is a time of fear and distress. A time when the parents, the wife, the children live in constant fear the moment their loved ones step out of the home, and relax only when they come back. This is a time when neighbours view each other with suspicion just because they worship different God. An abandoned bag in the street, which hardly raised an eyebrow yesterday, today raises an alarm. This is a time of us and them. Of fragmented culture and homes. This is a time when simplest of the gesture is analysed for ulterior motives. This is a time of suspicion. Of fearing the worst.

This is a time of terror.

In these turbulent and violent times, let us go back to poetry. Because a poem is the final friend who stands by us in our worst of times. And they are also the mirror, through which we view ourselves. They compel us to acknowledge inspite of the cruelty, finally it is the human spirit that triumphs. And no terror in the world can choke the voice of poetry.

Poetry are the last shelter of humanity.


Following are two poems from Nabarun Bhattacharjee, and late Shamsur Rahman, two of our mainstay poets. While the former is from West Bengal, India, the latter was from Bangladesh. Another example how poetry transcends geography and boundaries, and sing of humanity.
Bhitu manusher pash theke,
Je kobita sore jai,
Sei kobita holo sobtheke bhitu.
Jar payer tola theke,
Mati shore jache,
Take je kobita bhorsa dei na;
Se kakhono mati khuje pabe na.
Shite kunkrano, jobuthobu, hotobhombo
Buro o kukurder samne
Je kobita agun hoye jwole na,
Ta puriye dewai bhalo
Saaf janiye dilam
Kobita shombondhe eei holo amar kobita
NABARUN FATARU.

By Nabarun Bhattacharjo

***

Gorilara dole dole torighori Kameez patlun
Pore Mazjid guro kore Ar agun dhoraye
Debaloye; Manusher swapner bosoti pore, Taja
rokto boi pothe; Tras tarito juboti muuk hoi
Jutobodhho laloshar lokloke nishwashe ebong
gorilla ra kromoshho shonkhaye bare Shohore o Grame.

Kaalpurusher mukhe poreche bistor chunkali,
Surjer jwolonto chokh theke obirol asru jhore,
Prithibir drishho dekhbe na bole surjo bondho kore
chokh, dupurei ghor omaboshha name dike dike.

Galiber gazalera ghatoker astrer chayaye
Asrupat kore nishidin, Robindrarachabali
byarthotai, opomane obonoto; miloner bhogno
shetu dekhe Nazrul noshtho nire buk chapran.

Kanna o ase na ar; protibade shorahoto pakhi,
Ja kichu gaurabdripto trosto shob bibore lukaye.
Manushke dekhei manush pranpone palabar
Poth khoje, bonno poshuder aj boro hashi pai.

By Shamsur Rahmen

love,

Ranjan