I was sitting on the breakfast table with my first cup of coffee in hand. My wife was on the phone with her sister, visiting my eighty plus mother-in-law. Physically they were some ten thousand miles apart but modern technology had made it easier to stay connected. They were discussing how to make it easier for my fiercely independent but increasingly feisty mother-in-law navigate the impending two weeks long lock down to be implemented in a couple of days to combat increasing cases of COVID -19. Bits and pieces of their conversation that I overheard resulted in my mind digress from the cup of coffee in my hand. Result, a cup of cold coffee and the random thoughts below. I wrote the poem in my mother tongue Axomiya (Assamese) first and then translated to English now. Here the order is in reverse.
Life -A Unique Feeling
Because no straight lines in nature,
Life to tread a tortuous path?
Does it make any sense?
*****
Day I learnt to measure life
In terms of material wealth,
Life became worthless.
*****
To make one understand my desire, not my responsibility.
Expecting everyone to understand me,
Foolishness or my audacity?
*****
Past and future unknown mystery, in between treads life,
Tomorrow everyone will go their own way,
For the ephemeral moment, why the illusory attachment?
জীৱন – এটা অনুভূতি
প্ৰকৃতিত হেনো সৰল ৰেখা নাই,
সেয়ে জীৱনৰ পথ হ’ব ঘূৰণীয়া, জটিল,
কিনো মানে হয়?
*****
যিদিনাই শিকিলো টকা পইচাৰ তুলাচনিত
জুখিব জীৱনৰ মূল্যবোধ,
জীৱন হ’ল মূল্যহীন।
*****
মই কি বিচাৰো বুজাব ৰাইজক নহয় মোৰ কৰ্তব্য,
সকলোৱে বুজিব মোক আশা কৰাটো
মোৰ মূৰ্খতা নে ধৃষ্টতা?
****
আগলৈও নাই, পিচলৈও নাই, মাজত সীমিত জীৱন,
কালি সকলোৱে আকৌ আপোন পথত,
দুঘড়ীৰ বাবে কিয় এই মায়াৰ বান্ধোন?
