Sunday, October 4, 2015

Amitabh Mitra writes and paints


Gwalior, Living, Loving, Living

1

where did we go the last time
the train stopped

what happened then
a brigand of runaway clouds
talked to us

did we ever reach home
home is the unknown
we always stayed

and the sounds outside....
a train of simmering thoughts just
screamed past

Who broke  a violet sky
Who upturned your garhi *
Who dropped
elderly secrets
on your palm
who asked you a question

where are we going now...
Who would answer the kisses
Who would wrap the wind in your eyes
Who would love you even more

* Garhi is a small fort with a small palace. Each of these Indian royal families in Northern, Central and Western India has such Garhis





2

today
this evening has come back
in its finery
streets coil back in languor
i smell an aroma
like distant footsteps
lying on a divan
behind curtains
hiding shadows of
once
small talk
once
tiny kisses
i wait
i wait.





3

let me go
i had told you then
your smile unleashed a sea
in the ravines
palaces were swept off
to a distant sky
and a painted afternoon burnt the fort
for ever
yes, we must all leave, you concluded
the reign has finally ended
to a long summer that had once brought us together
birds that had flown off somewhere
our kisses stayed only with hurts
breathing against ageless stones
and a rainbow that climbed an arid bastion
leaped to escape a once promised
day.


Art - The Fort, Gwalior, India
Acrylic on Paper by Amitabh Mitra

6 comments:

  1. Amitabh says: There are two pictures, Acrylic on Paper of the Fort and the sun burning it for centuries

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many thanks Duane, Its the Maratha rage, still burning and love enclosed within

    ReplyDelete
  3. सदियों से सूरज के ताप में झुलसने के बाद भी
    यूं ही सर ऊंचा किये खड़े है
    दुर्ग के तराशे हुए प्रस्तर, कंगूरे और गुम्बद ।
    साम्राज्यों के कालातीत होने के बावजूद,
    अपने अतीत को निवर्तमान बनाने के लिए हरगिज राजी नहीं हैं वे ।
    किले की नीली आभा तक नहीं हुयी है धुंधली .... न होगी !!
    सृजन और निर्माण को
    श्रृंगारित करता है श्रम
    उनको आभूषित करती है
    जन के पसीने की अजस्र धारायें,
    और वे
    नहीं होती किसी राजघराने के कुलनाम या वल्दियत की मोहताज ।
    अबकी बार जब ग्वालियर आएं अमिताभ
    तो लाइयेगा नयी कूंचिया, नए रंग
    वर्तमान के कैनवास पर उकेरियेगा नए ग्वालियर को
    एक भव्य बैकड्रॉप से झांकता
    भविष्य की गैलरी में सुशोभित मिलेगा ग्वालियर...
    अपना पुनर्निर्माण और पुनराभिषेक करता हुआ ।
    हमारे और आपके सपनों की तरह वास्तविक और मोहक ।

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would love to know what Badol has to say!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I shall try translating/transcreating Badal Saroj's above mentioned poem into English. Badal is a close friend, a prominent Marxist leader, he is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India ( Marxist), Central India. He is also a great Hindi Poet. Here he too talks about the Gwalior Fort, its heritage, the ruling class with which we identify and the poorest of the poor who toil, keeping the fort within, their stake on the fort is natural too.

    ReplyDelete

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