Short Poems

Day and night I wander widely through the wilderness of thought, Catching dainty things of fancy most reluctant to be caught. Shining tangles leading nowhere I persistently unravel, Tread strange paths of meditation very intricate to travel.

Gleaming bits of quaint desire tempt my steps beyond the decent.
I confound old solid glory with publicity too recent.
But my one unchanged obsession, wheresoe'er my feet have trod,
Is a keen, enormous, haunting, never-sated thirst for God

Drake is going west, lads
So Tom is going East
But tiny Fred
Just lies in bed,
The lazy little beast.

Gjør Ægteskabs Tilbud i Dags-Avisen,
Men tag kun Den, som har Pengegrisen;
Thi Penge — Penge — Du kan troe mit Ord,
Penge blev en Magt paa denne Jord.

Til Gjengangerbrevenes Forfatter
Hold Dig ved Blomstens Form, giv den Værdie,
Jeg Blinde skatter Duften mest deri.
Med bitter Haan og Ring'agt Du mig slaaer,
Bliv ved — — den unge Spire let forgaaer —
Men var jeg meer end Skum paa Tidens Hav,
— En Verden staaer, som Dommer ved vor Grav.

But give me holly, bold and jolly,
Honest, prickly, shining holly;
Pluck me holly leaf and berry
For the day when I make merry

Glæden ved Guds grønne Jord,
Glæden ved Guds Naade-Ord,
de vil ikke kriges;
Lærkesang og Klokkeklang,
de kan godt forliges.

Give me October's meditative haze,
Its gossamer mornings, dewy-wimpled eves,
Dewy and fragrant, fragrant and secure,
The long slow sound of farmward-wending wains,
When homely Love sups quiet 'mid his sheaves,
Sups 'mid his sheaves, his sickle at his side,
And all is peace, peace and plump fruitfulness.

"I will not part! -- There is no end!" She clings and clings...
And in the breast -- the rise
Of threatening waters,
Of notes...Steadfast: like an immutable
Mystery: we will part!

ওগো স্তন্যপায়ী ভাষা পিপীলিকাভূক মুখচোরা
ভূচর খেচর জলচর দাম্পত্যজীবনে তুষ্ট একশিঙা
নীলগাই বারাশিঙা চোরাকিশোরীর হাতে মূল্যবান প্রাণী
স্হলে বিচরণকারী উদবিড়াল গন্ধগোকুল বিনোদিনী
শব্দগহবর খেয়ে নোকরশাহির রাজ্য এনেছ এদেশে ।

২ ভাদ্র ১৩৯২

Lightning break the window
cat arched back in fear
apparition comes


(Previously published in Poems Md, Apr 2008)