In the story “The Emperor has No Clothes”, the child who shouted that the emperor was naked while all others were profusely praising the emperor’s new clothes, did he ever grow up? What did he think about the emperor’s new clothes once he grew up? Well, I don’t know. As we step into our adulthood, that child slowly withers away. Still, somewhere deep inside each one of us, that inner child tries to come out from time to time and shout, “The emperor has no clothes.” However the cat gets on our tongue and we stay silent. That’s a burden for each one of us to carry in our own way and suffer in silence. Only those who are completely devoid of their conscience can sleep peacefully being completely unaware of the current happenings in the world. These thoughts during my breakfast today resulted in a poem in my mother tongue Axomiya (Assamese) that I translated to English and posting here now. The original poem follows the translated English one.
Light, where is light?
quill of selfishness
drew the portrait of god
tainted piety
self-centereds cheer
behold the dispersed rays
oh celestial glow
cries the guileless child
light, where is light?
utter darkness all around
in trickling blood of the oppressed
is the blackhole of truth
the tomb of god
obeyance of the sycophants
emboldens pack of jackals
to howl like lions
butterfly dreams confined
to cocoons of our comfort zone
rotting conscience
the child is still shouting
light, where is light?
he will grow up, understand.
Pranabendra Sarma, June30,2025
San Jose, California.
পোহৰ ক’ত
স্বাৰ্থৰ তুলিকাৰে অঙ্কিত
ঈশ্বৰৰ চিত্ৰপট
কলুষিত পবিত্ৰতা
স্বাৰ্থান্বেষীৰ উল্লাস
চোৱা, চোৱা, বিচ্ছুৰিত
দ্যুতি ঐশ্বৰিক
নিষ্পাপ শিশুটিয়ে চিঞৰে
পোহৰ ক’ত, পোহৰ?
নিৰবিচ্ছিন্ন অন্ধকাৰ
নিষ্পেষিতৰ নিগৰা শোণিতত
সত্যৰ ক’লা গহ্বৰ
সমাধি ঈশ্বৰৰ
উলঙ্গ জনতাৰ তোষণত
ৰাউচি জুৰি ঘূৰে
নীলা শিয়ালৰ জাক
পখিলা হৈ উৰাৰ সপোন
সুখৰ লেটাত আৱদ্ধ
বিবেকৰ পচন
শিশুটিয়ে এতিয়াও আছে চিঞৰি
পোহৰ ক’ত, পোহৰ?
শিশুটি এদিন ডাঙৰ হ’ব, বুজিব।
প্ৰণবেন্দ্ৰ শৰ্মা, জুন ৩০, ২০২৫
চান হ’জে, কালিফোৰ্নিয়া।
Fleeting Muse 