Fragments of an Old Shop / Two

 
Time
-----------------


Time, you flow onward through eternal ages,
age after age,
you take one step forward, and
toll death's bell.
To some you bring joy,
to some you are a dear friend,
to some you are utterly cruel,
to some a beloved enemy.
Time, you carry us
gradually toward death,
it seems as if I see the crow-call dawn now,
and then in just a moment, the evening sun.
When I wake in the morning,
when I look at the clock,
it feels as if I just lay down,
dawn has come so quickly!
To some you surrender to the rush of studies,
to some to games and play,
to children you seem like
collecting plastic scraps all day!
Time, you come and go,
like a river's current,
it feels as if I've accomplished nothing
with all the work crowding my mind.
Time, you flow onward,
like the tick-tick of a clock,
it feels as if this moment has passed,
as if an hour has gone.
Time, you rush at great speed
through countless moments,
it seems as if I've just been born,
and now I've just taken
one step closer to death.


…………………………………………
28 August 1997


The Present State of the Bengali Language
------------------------------------


Hey little one, come here,
where is your father?
Go tell your father I've come,
I am your uncle.
Father isn't here, he's gone out,
please sit for a while,
it won't be long,
perhaps he'll come right back.
Well little one, what's your name?
Which class are you in?
My name is Narendra,
I'm in class three.
What a lovely name!
Tell me, little one, do you know
any beautiful rhymes?
Why wouldn't I know?
I know almost all
the beautiful rhymes!
Well then, let me hear
a Bengali rhyme,
let me see how well you've learned!
No no, I don't know Bengali rhymes,
I only know English rhymes.
Bengali is your mother tongue,
yet you haven't learned
a single Bengali rhyme?
You should learn Bengali rhymes first,
then learn English rhymes alongside.
Father has said, "Those who learn Bengali are uneducated.
Those who speak Bengali are fools.
What use is learning Bengali?
He's told me to learn English,
because the world runs on English,
learning English makes you smart."
Hearing this, the guest felt great sorrow in his heart,
from beneath his glasses,
over the buttons of his punjabi,
two tears rolled down.
He thought, "Was it for this
that hundreds of martyrs gave their blood in '52?"
He left the room,
his eyes filled with tears,
he thought, "What has become of our independent Bangladesh?
Was this our dream?"


(Father to son: Son, did you learn anything from yesterday's movie?
Son: Yes father, I did.
Father: What did you learn?
Son: When fighting, which places to hit to cause the most pain.)


……………………………………………
29 August 1997


My Mother
-------------------------


My mother is the best mother,
hard to find in all three worlds,
a mother as good as her
I'll never find again.
Her affection, her tenderness
has no comparison,
without her love
I perhaps could never have grown up.
In childhood she would
put me to sleep while staying awake,
painting that gentle smile of the moon
upon my face.
Day and night she stays awake to serve
whenever I fall ill today,
I wish, Mother,
you would stay with me always,
showering your love like rain.
How many things she
cooks and feeds me,
Mother's cooking
is like nectar!
A mother like her
I'll never find anywhere,
when I rest my head in Mother's lap,
it soothes my heart's pain.
When Mother isn't near,
my heart wants to burst,
the smile of flowers, the smile of the moon
seem wrapped around her face.
When I lie in Mother's lap,
all weariness fades away,
even chanting Mother's name
brings peace to my mind.
I was born in her lap,
learned her language,
may I depart in her lap too—
this is my hope.


……………………………………
29 August 1997


The Great Journey
---------------------------


It was perhaps August 8th,
the day of my death.
I had planned to go to St. Martin's.
I woke in that crow-call dawn…
before the day began,
first I took a little morning walk,
then brushed my teeth and finished bathing,
"Son, eat your food before you go…"
I heard Mother's call from the kitchen.
(After finishing the meal)
My ship would leave at 8,
the clock then showed 7:00.
Mother gave me some rice cakes and
said, "Child, eat these if you get hungry,
don't just have fun,
take care of yourself too."
I said, "Mother, bless me,
so I can return to your lap again!"
Hearing this, Mother began to weep,
she kissed my forehead again and again.
I boarded the ship at quarter to eight,
sat in a seat,
the ship left exactly at eight.
At just that moment,
a slice of golden sunlight came
and fell upon my face.
Then I bought two taka worth of peanuts,
let me enjoy the sea view a little, eat a little,
somehow I fell asleep,
I didn't even realize it.
When I woke it was perhaps six in the evening,
just then the sky turned black,
thick storm clouds appeared.
Just then a tornado began,
the wind started blowing very hard.
The ship filled with
passengers' frightened screams and wails,
just then the ship started sinking,
this way the ship sank slowly.
Except for one or two people,
almost everyone died.
I too was added to the list of the dead,
I crossed over to the other side,
leaving behind earth's light and air, earth's magic,
forever.
Mother, I am here in great happiness,
don't worry about me,
perhaps that day rang,
rang my 'death's bell.'
That day kissing you I made my 'journey,'
perhaps that was my 'Great Journey'!
I know you're perhaps looking for me on the path,
saying, "Come home, son, come home,
come home…"


(Captain: All of you quickly take lifeboats and jump from the ship, because the ship is sinking.
A passenger: Why? I paid money for a ticket to ride the ship, why should I float?


Teacher: Imon, give an example of an aquatic animal with definition.
Imon: Sir, those who graze in water are called aquatic animals. For example, ships.)


……………………………………………
30 August 1997


Mosquito
----------------


Mosquito, mosquito, mosquito!
Because of you I can't sit still at all!
Mosquito, mosquito, mosquito,
mosquitoes everywhere,
I can't bear your torment anymore,
there's no place to be found
where mosquitoes don't exist.
You come silently, you go silently,
piercing needles into skin,
you suck and drink blood.
Mosquitoes at home, mosquitoes outside,
there's no escape from mosquitoes,
because of you, how many people
die of malaria.
You bite my legs while I'm studying,
coming wherever I sit to read,
because of you my mind
can't focus on studies.
If someone bit you this way,
how would you feel, tell me?
Why do you drink blood?
Can't you eat vitamin-rich
vegetables and fruits?
Try to give up drinking blood,
what can't be done with effort,
give us a little peace,
remove our fear.


(Teacher: Tell me, why do mosquitoes buzz?
Student: They're very religious, so they remember the Creator a little before eating blood.)
…………………………………………………
30 August 1997


A Student's Hope
--------------------------------


A boy came from the village to the city,
with the purpose of learning and becoming educated,
he would try with all his might.
This way he would grow up,
growing up he would become
someone for country and people.
Coming to the city, first he encountered
traffic jams,
then who would cheat whom,
who would go ahead of whom!
Then he went to college for admission,
going there he saw that trickery hadn't spared anything,
even educational institutions—
there too injustice and unfairness prevail,
bribes are given and taken,
which in polite language is called 'donation,'
he saw everywhere, even in college,
terrorism and oppression continuing.
Instead of notebooks, pens, and books, students were
taking up weapons.
"Students respect teachers."
This is what he had known before,
but there he saw,
"Teachers respecting students."
One day in college for some reason
fighting broke out, then gunfight.
Amazed, he saw
a festival of blood playing out in college.
Suddenly a bullet came and
pierced his chest,
he collapsed on the ground,
realized how terrible, unbearable death's agony is.
Then the gunfight paused a bit,
but one or two gunshots could still
be heard frequently.
This way every day many boys
go to educational institutions,
go with hearts full of hope
to become well-educated humans,
and sometime they return home,
return, but not as living humans,
with bloodied bodies,
return as corpses.


…………………………………………
31 August 1997


Prayer
----------------------


Forgive us, Lord,
we are ungrateful, we are helpless.
Guide us on the right path,
in our good days and bad days, you are our only help.
We are shelterless, we are tainted with hatred and spite,
we seek peace everywhere and die searching,
give us shelter, give us place at your feet.
You are our last refuge,
so we remember you with mind and soul.
Forgive us,
we cannot express our gratitude to you,
give good sense to our hearts,
give us sincerity.
You are our Lord, our everything,
make us devoted to you.
May our heads always remain
bowed at your feet.
You have given us this beautiful earth,
you are generous, our guide to light.
You have given us light, air, and water,
bless us, even amid wealth and property may we
be able to remember you.
You are the refuge of the refugeless, lord of the world,
you have given us goodwill and harmony.
You are friend to us all,
give us knowledge, learning, and wisdom,
bless us so that
evil deeds never
show their face in our hearts.
Bless us,
so we are always engaged in others' welfare,
so we can give something to the world,
so we become worthy of morning prayers
after death.
Give us good thoughts,
give our hearts affection, love, and tenderness.
Give us good strength, make us truly courageous,
give us humanity.


(1st person: How does it feel to win 40 lakh taka in the lottery?
2nd person: I'm feeling a little regret.
1st person: Why?
2nd person: Brother, I bought two tickets, one of them won. I wasted 10 taka buying the second ticket for nothing.)


…………………………………………………
1 September 1997


Durga Puja
----------------------


Durga Puja is coming
bringing joy along,
bringing celebration and festivity
and the sound of music day and night.
Goddess Durga is coming in great splendor
with Lakshmi and Saraswati,
there are also Kartik and Ganesha and
peace flowing along.
O Durga, you are the goddess of power,
you are the bearer of great strength.
Bless us so we can properly
'punish the wicked, protect the good.'
Saraswati, you are the goddess of learning,
coming riding on a swan,
bless us so we can become human
through reading and writing.
Lakshmi, you are the goddess of wealth,
the owl is your vehicle,
give us wealth,
but bless us so becoming wealthy never
makes our minds arrogant.
Kartik, you are the god of war,
coming riding on a peacock,
bless us so war happens for establishing peace,
so people don't die unjustly in it.
Ganesha, you are the god of peace,
your vehicle is the mouse,
bless us so world peace is well-established,
so peace's message is proclaimed
from direction to direction.
Mother, with your trident you
slayed Mahishasur,
now Mother, please destroy
all the human-formed demons of the world.
Durga Puja is coming with great pomp and show,
everyone's heart is full of joy,
so today in happiness we
sing songs of joy.


………………………………………………
2 September 1997