You, too, knew that oneday disillusionment
would wash over the river waters.
Why do you walk all alone by the deserted path?
Butterflies never fly astray from their flock;
ask the hibiscus in your garden,
or the sensitive foliage on the veranda—
only a deep lament flies in the sudden Chaitra gusts…

The bridge of trust, slowly decaying,
is gradually sinking into the depths of the river.
A family of ants is crossing that broken bridge,
heading who knows where!
One can hold out their hands to the river—

after all, you were the one who said so one day.
Yet, into the river’s detached waters,
you have surrendered the fiery transformation,
all your possibilities…

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Braja K Sorkar
Picture Nick Victor

• Shankha-babu alias Shankha Ghosh  , a monumental Indian poet, critic, and scholar in Bengali literature.

Bio:

Braja K Sorkar is a bilingual Author (Bengali & English) , Poet, Editor and Critic. Ten Titles have been published in his credit including a highly acclaimed poetry collection, titled ‘ Syllables  of Broken Silence(2021) for which he received ‘The Indology Award’(2021). He  has been editing  a  prestigious International English literary journal’ Durgapur Review’ since 2023. He edited and published an International Anthology of World English Poetry, titled’ Voices Now: World Poetry Today’ (2021). His poems have been translated into many Indian languages including Chinese and Spanish .

Besides, Braja K Sorkar is an eminent translator(English-Bengali-Assamese) Presently he is associated with Sahitya Akademi , a prestigious National  Academy  of letters under Govt of India)  as a translator. He runs an international publishing house in English named  ‘Tristoop Books’ based in Durgapur, West Bengal, India.

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