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

Street Side Cafe

Street Side cafe

A kaleidoscopic collage of life,
Scurrying around their daily lives.
Observing.

Seating alone in a street side cafe,
Subconsciously conscious.
Conspicuous,
Brown skin, beard and a hooded shirt.

Lady with a head scarf,
Child holding her hand,
Furtive glance, apprehensive,
As she goes out to the street.

Banker, impeccably dressed,
Cell phone to the ear,
Briefcase in hand.
Apprehensive, suspicious,
As he hurriedly goes in
For his morning cup of joe.

A packet wrapped in green plastic
Left on a table.
More apprehensive glances.
Afraid.
Roll of newspaper
Left by someone.

Our lives will never be normal.
Suspicion eating us all.

Distant wailing of sirens,
People running.
Afraid.

With a heavy heart, step out to sidewalk.
Patrons, breathing a sigh of relief.

Corner from the street side cafe,
Flashing lights,
Paramedics and police cars,
Some drunk driver has just ran a red light.