(1)
I kissed a mermaid on land,
Then – later,
In her aquatic paradise,
She reciprocates it;
(2)
I see a mystic sit on a cactus pot and smile,
I see locked Mosques and Churches
even on Fridays and Sundays –
so too are the Temple doors and naamghars,
I see a crowd hurl stones at a saint
and embrace a prostitute;
(3)
I see the goldsmith with a bigger hammer
than the blacksmith,
I see a hare lose to a tortoise,
I see a mouse free a trapped lion from the hunter’s net,
I see a lion recognising the slave
who once helped him remove a thorn from his paw,
I see David defeat Goliath,
I see our Ahoms defeat the mighty Mughals,
I see underdogs win against tournament favourites,
I see a farmer smiling at his ripe corn,
I see a capitalist watch in horror
his factory go up in flames;
(4)
A poor couple
whose house is adjacent to a cemetery
had a child this morning,
An abandoned egg below a rose plant
had hatched this morning,
A rose bud above that egg
had bloomed during the same night,
I see a square-shaped roti
being served on a round plate;
(5)
I see humans scared of coughs and sneezes,
I see people refraining from handshakes,
I see civilizations distancing to civilize and stay alive.
© Sabah
