I was young

When to Kaancha I handed

the ragged ball

At the joy of going to the city.

At night

from my village far

Very far

Balls of electricity

Winking….winking could be seen

From the front-yard of my home

As if in a vast lake

sky in rich spangles

Is having its reflection.

I would let

The fragrance of my imagination

Hover Bijanbari than among the stars.

The stars must have felt discriminated

But I had listened more about the cites

Than the stars.

Night after night,

The city burgeoned upwards the landscape; making bland

The entertainment of my plays.

I left counting stars and started

counting the newly erected bulbs,

The tranquility of my village felt like deathly silence.

The tamed elephants and rhinos

Destroying boulders; ancient woods

and taking to cities,

enthralled me more than

the smilingly forgiving flowers

Crushed steps after steps.

I had listened

The biscuits and orange-sweets

brought by my mother

from Chaturre Bazaar

Are created in cities.

All these, after seeing and listening

Blindfolded I dived into the city

But no sooner I came here

City made me operate irons

Till today

Ironing my rainbow dreams to meet the stars

I’m charged with chores

To prepare someone for schools and offices.

Every morning, sweeping house colossal as Mahaveer I search in the rubbish

my crumpled hopes hoping to find.

The wrappers of sweets as many

the leaves and fodders in villages

But not a wrapper is fallen from my hand.

Today in city

cleaning robots and dolls

I dream to play with robots and dolls.

Safe are the desires to be befriended

With dolls and robots.

For a person like me

The pomegranates of this garden too

Is a rubber gimmick arrayed in the showcase of a living room.

Therefore today

I again wish to see cities from my village

Rolling a boulder bigger than me

Sewing the torn frock with the patches of dirt,

I wish to smile the smile of my being

City is seen fairyland only from my village

Why, from these sky kissing houses and buildings

can I not see

My village home?

By Parbat Lawati

From: Nepal

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