The entire city is smelling of burnt human flesh
all are smelling same –
the flesh of the children, pregnant women and
newly wed couple.
We learnt today
fire does not know
how to differ bones
It burns all – old bones and young bones
in the same vigor.
In an auditorium in Kolkata
the city of the Babus
all the distinguished poets are
reading their poems.
All are joyous
celebrating spring.
Kolkata and Rampurhat –
two places in two different smell zones
kebab of kolkata is of delicate chickens
and in Rampurhat charred human bones
are much cheaper.
All are reading poems
Poems of love, spring and ecstasy.
About the poem: on 21st March eight people including children and women were burnt to death in Bagtui village of Rampurhat sub- division in West Bengal.The charred bodies of the deceased have been recovered. It’s not the first case. In the last ten to fifteen days 26 people have lost their lives in political violence in West Bengal. While people are being burnt to death the eminent poets and writers are busy in poetry festivals.
My poem is in protest against this ghastly massacre and the silence of the poets, writers and intellectuals who are supposed to be the voice of the oppressed.
Moumita Alam is a poet from West Bengal. The collection of her poems, The Musings of the Dark is available on Amazon.
