I was young

When to Kaancha I handed

the ragged ball

At the joy of going to the city.

At night 

from my village far

Very far

Balls of electricity

Winking….winking  could be seen 

From the front yard of my home 

As if in a vast lake 

 sky in rich spangles 

Is having its reflection.

I would let 

The fragrance of my imagination 

Hover Bijanbari than among the stars.

The stars must have felt discriminated 

But I had listened more about the cites

Than the stars.

Night after night,

The city burgeoned upwards the landscape; making bland 

The entertainment of my plays.

I left counting stars and started 

counting the newly erected bulbs,

The tranquility of my village felt like deathly silence.

The tamed elephants and rhinos

Destroying boulders; ancient woods

and taking to cities,

enthralled me more than 

the smilingly forgiving flowers 

Crushed steps after steps.

I had listened 

The biscuits and orange-sweets 

brought by my mother 

from Chaturre Bazaar

Are created in cities.

All these, after seeing and listening

Blindfolded I dived into the city

But no sooner I came here

City made me operate irons

Till today

Ironing my rainbow dreams to meet the stars

 I’m charged with chores

To prepare someone for schools and offices.

Every morning, sweeping house colossal as Mahaveer I search in the rubbish

my crumpled hopes hoping to find.

The wrappers of sweets as many 

the leaves and fodders in villages 

But not a wrapper is fallen from my hand.

Today in city 

cleaning robots and dolls 

I dream to play with robots and dolls.

Safe are the desires to be befriended 

With dolls and robots.

For a person like me 

The pomegranates of this garden too 

Is a rubber gimmick arrayed in the showcase of a living room.

Therefore today 

I again wish to see cities from my village

Rolling a boulder bigger than me

Sewing the torn frock with the patches of dirt,

I wish to smile the smile of my being

City is seen fairyland only from my village

Why from this sky kissing houses and buildings

can I not see

My village home?