I Search in Vain

My friend Jane (Jane Dougherty) had introduced me to writing Ghazals in English some time back.  Growing up in India, I was quite familiar to listening to ghazals but never knew that ghazals were also written in English.  During last few months, I tried my hand writing a few pieces. I either write in my mother tongue, Assamese ( Axomiya), and then translate to English or vice versa.  Last week, like a fool, I prompted Jane to write a ghazal as she had not posted a ghazal for quite some time.  She turned the table on me as she promptly wrote one and posted (Rain) and challenged me to write one. I find it very hard to follow rules while writing poetry and ghazals do have some strict rules.  I am not professing that I have followed all the rules but here is my try.  My apologies to all the purist who follow strict rules. I plead guilty to breaking the rules.

I wrote the following piece in English first and then translated to Assamese. Posting it in the same sequence.

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I Search in Vain

Just wanted to be human but society pigeonholes

Hyphenated identity breaks my heart as society pigeonholes

Extend my hand with love, get rejected with scorn

Not one of us they say, as society pigeonholes

Want to embrace one and all without any prejudice

Color of my skin not matching, as society pigeonholes

Where love has gone when everyone preaches universal love

Your god is not our god, as society pigeonholes

What’s god’s color or race, nationality, language or gender

Truth has become the ultimate victim, as society pigeonholes

I search in vain for humanity in ocean of discord

Humanity butchered on alter of identity politics as society pigeonholes

মানৱতাৰ সন্ধানত বৃথা প্ৰয়াস

মানুহ হব বিচাৰিছিলো কিন্ত সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

বিভিন্ন পৰিচিতিত অন্তৰত হাহাকাৰ, সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

আন্তৰিক প্ৰেমৰে আগবঢ়োৱা হাত ঘৃণাৰে প্ৰত্যাখ্যান

নোহোৱা তুমি আমাৰ নিজৰ, সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

সাৰ্বজনীন প্ৰেমৰ আলিঙ্গনৰে বন্ধাৰ প্ৰয়াস অনিৰ্বাৰ

চালৰ তোমাৰ ৰং দেখিছানে, সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

সকলোৰে মুখত প্ৰেমৰ বাণী, প্ৰেমযে হৰণলুকী 

তোমাৰ ঈশ্বৰ নহয় আমাৰ, সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

নাজানো ঈশ্বৰৰ জাতি, বৰ্ণ, নাজানো ঈশ্বৰৰ ভাষা

সচা কথা কলে সমাজৰ ভয়, সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ 

বিভেদৰ সমুদ্ৰত মানৱতাৰ সন্ধান বৃথা এই প্ৰয়াস মোৰ

ৰাজনীতিৰ বেদীত মানৱতাৰ বলিদান, নাই কিয় সমাজৰ তিৰস্কাৰ ?