Poem | Bhaskar Chakrabarty (Translated by Sarbajaya Bhattacharya)

Photo Credits: GB

When Will Winter Arrive Suparna 

When will winter arrive Suparna

I'll sleep for three months

Every evening, as if in cruel jest, my blood turns cold like the frogs –

I sit in silent stupor –

They send a blue balloon soaring through the darkness, they burn fireworks all night long –

Shouting, screaming – then suddenly, magically,

at the same moment,

every candle is extinguished

the day of feast turns direction like the wind,

the tune of the flute stops floating to the ear –

In such moments, I feel like diving headlong into water every time I see it –

I feel like submerging my body and lifting only my face to breathe for a while

I feel empty Suparna

I am not human, nor light, nor dream-like – the soles of my feet

are widening – the sound of

horse's hooves makes my heart throb louder in its cage and quickens my breath

Everyday my fingertip pushes time ahead of its time I feel empty

when will winter arrive Suparna, I'll sleep for three months

Once, waking at dawn, I had seen clouds leaning near the window – Darkness

everywhere – so dark a  day, I couldn't even see my own fingernails – it made me cry

when I thought of you

I lit a matchstick in my hair and fell asleep again to its burning scent

Now I am not human – I feel like jumping instead of walking down a street

I have no desire to kneel before love for three months –

the sound of human footsteps quicken my breath,

I run in the direction from which I came

But why do I run?

I feel empty 
When will winter arrive Suparna
I'll sleep for three months.