2012 Dream Of A LeytonstOne Teenager

The 2012 London Olympics is almost here! Being an Olympic 2012 Youth Ambassador and 2012 Legacy Youth Panel member, but above all, a Leytonstone girl,  I felt the need to express my own fear and hopes and  emotions towards the Games and what it shall bring for our community through my own get-away poetry...

2012 Dream Of A LeytonstOne Teenager

The songs of the birds...

The wake-up call 

And the good-night lullaby...

Childhood, Nature, Memories...

Our garden was always wild, 

the long blades of grass...the eucalyptus in the front yard...

The neighbours:

An elderly couple...I helped them learn about technology...

They taught me the philosophies of life...

The corner-shop and grocery: One-Pound-One-Bowl;

We shared a bonding...they knew our lives, our joys, our problems...

We were a community.

Yet somehow, 

the shady winding paths lost appeal and we too followed the high road of expectations...

leaving the 4-bedroom bungalow for a concrete cage of an apartment,

the motorway racing by, when I dare to peer down the bridge....

my garden is now  paved, the flowers only in pots...

The inhospitable staff at the nearby 'Tesco'...

The generic: "you all right?"

she doesn't know me, nor does she care for my troubles...

The lost community spirit still tries to exist, to survive, in this manufactured, ultra-modern world 

Yet, the full-bloom of roses at the tube-station...

brought us together again...

When one kind lady offered to unite us in a snap, asking dad to join in...

I now volunteer to be the camera-girl, if i see a family struggling to connect...

A petty deed, yet one that holds the power of forming a community again...

But: we come together too, in a different manner...

Complaining about Boris' Tfl's failure, 

a moaning voice...in unison

But I wish, we would be together when the park opens on the 27th of July, this year...

United in appreciation, not complaint...

PITTER-PATTER RAIN DROPS বৃষ্টি পরে টাপুর টুপুর

(7 May is the birthday of the Nobel Laureate  poet Rabindranath Tagore. So as a tribute to the great poet, I am posting an interpreted translation of one of his vibrant, glorious works....

Although I would love people to provide me with feedback about what you thought of the translation, please remember, it is only my own interpretation, and should not be considered as the correct or accurate (word-by-word) translation. I have tried by best to keep as much of the original imagery and their significance in the poem and weaved them into a poetical piece, as it is this aspect of the original work which which appealed and charmed me the most.

One last note: the copyright of the original poem belongs solely to the great writer himself (only), however, I hold copyright of this translation. Please do not use it as your own. Ask me for permission first, and it is very unlikely that you shall not be allowed. Thank you fr coming here and reading. Enjoy!)

PITTER-PATTER RAIN DROPS 

Day’s Light drawn into dusk

Softly setting sunbeams…

In the skies , clouds crowd

Desiring the Moon’s touch…

Clouds engulf clouds

Colors swallow colors;

Temple bells Ring –

Devoted; aloud…

Here comes the Rains

Trees are a haze;

Here comes the bejeweled…

Majestic…

Clouds.

Monsoons winds bringing back…

Memories of the childhood past;

Pitter-patter rain drops…

Flooding in my heart!

Playing games in the wide skies:

Clouds know no limits…

No countries, no boundaries –

No stopping the heart’s path…

Every New Land of Roses…

New World…

New Destinations…

New Adventure.

They remind me of the

Games of Time…

The Hide n’ Seek of Past,

With Future round the corner.

Draws me back to

To my Childhood’s World…

Pitter-Patter Rain Drops…

And my Heart is Drowned…

(for the benefit of readers, I have put the real poem here.)

 বৃষ্টি পরে টাপুর টুপুর 

দিনের আলো নিবে এল, 

সূর্যি ডোবে ডোবে, 

আকাশ ঘিরে মেঘ জুটেসে,

চাঁদের লোভে লোভে |

মেঘের উপর মেঘ করেছে

রঙের উপর রং;

মন্দিরেতে কাঁসর ঘন্টা --

বাজলো ঠং ঠং |

ও পারেতে বৃষ্টি এল, 

ঝাপসা গাছ পালা;
এ পারেতে মেঘের মাথায় 
এক'শ মানিক জ্বলা |
বাদলা হাওয়ায় মনে পরে 
ছেলেবেলের গান...
বৃষ্টি পরে টাপুর টুপুর, 
নদে এলো বান |


আকাশ জুড়ে মেঘের খেলা,
কোথায় বা সীমানা ?
দেশে দেশে খেলে বেড়ায়,
কেউ করে না মানা | 
কত নতুন ফুলের বনে 
বৃষ্টি দিয়ে যায়
পলে পলে নতুন খেলা 
কোথায় ভেবে পায়?
মেঘের খেলা দেখা কত 
খেলা মনে পরে
কত দিনের লুকুচুরি, 
কত ঘরের কনে |
তারই সঙ্গে মনে পরে 
ছেলেবেলার গান ;
বৃষ্টি পরে টাপুর টুপুর, 
নদে এলো বান |

(I have also put a recitation of the Bengali (original) poem here. hope you like it too. I do not own the images in it, and the my due respect to the copyright of the original owners. However I own the editing, so please do not use it as your own. Ask me for permission first.)

Bangladesh, My Land Of Gold

Bangladesh, My Homeland, My World,

My only Real Home;

Oh! How I miss you, whether

Accompanied Or Alone.

The Sun rises every morning, in my Dhaka,

Bringing a new day, bright and clear,

And maybe to some faraway farmer,

Rejuvinating Cheer.

On the way, to home or school,

Cooling breezes crossed my way,

Relief for me, while in fields faraway,

Farmers would smile, seeing the gold crops sway.

The Sun would set in the evening,

Making the sky glow ruby red,

Like the crimson blood, which for freedom

Bangla's brave sons had shed.

Sometimes it would rain all day,

Filling the sky with clouds all dark,

Would give life to the farmer's crops, Filling up

Rivers , making the lonely fisherman smirk.

Other times,after dark, the sky would shine

With the sparkle of the stars & the Moon's light so Divine

All these memories; all these thoughts,

Always shall remind

Me of the Land of Gold,

Which I left behind.

Sleepless nights; Daydreams; All make me see:

Bangladesh the Land.................

Where my heart shall always be.

Mother.......I Remember You.....Always

(homesick memories of a child torn away from home)

Bangladesh ....My Mother, My Love,

My only Shelter, Only place of Peace;

Your Land so soft, covered with crops,

Your Rivers flowing endlessly,

May never ever decease

Your Skies so bright, without a cloud,

Through which, everyday, the Sun shows;

His rays falling on your crops

In gold which dazzlingly glows.

Your "Magpie Robin" sings me awake,

Your "Hilsha" is my favourite delight,

Your "Jackfruit" sweetens my life,

Your Royal Bengal Tiger is my pride.

You host the great Sundarbans,

The biggest mangrove forest on Earth's lands,

And the longest stretch of beach

In Cox's Bazar's sands.

Your children were so brave Mother,

To protect your honour they had fired;

For your sacred language, your treasured land,
They had been martyred.

Mother you are laden with so many Treasures, so appreciatable;

The list of it is so vast

Endless....Uncompilable.

However, when I had them in front of me,

All of them, I had failed to see.

Now that from you & your riches, I am so far away

Oh! Mother....I remember you, all night, all day.

WILD!

Never dream so big that you can't even...

Collect all the pieces together when it shatters....

But in your mind, what truly matters...

Is that by no laws does dreams abide...

So people, dream big, dream wild!!!

There in the unknown...

Resides your fate,

Seek it,

Change it,

Create it,

For its only you who are great....

Is there something you can't do?

Ask yourself...

For it can is never true...

You have the power,

To reach high,

To fly higher,

Don't fear, child...

Dream WILD!! 

Solemn Realisation

The One who gave me eyes to see

Has given my tears to fill them,

The One who gave me a heart so loving

Has given me the heart-breaking pain;

The One who gave me my best friends

Has made me lose them once again

With dark clouds above my head,

And eyes full of tears;

My insides aching with heart-breaking pain,

I was engulfed by my fears.

THEN.......................

The dark clouds cleared away

And a cheery Sun shone bright,

Away to the unknown went my fears

And I realized alright

The One who gave me lips bright and red

Has given me a smile for it to adorn,

The One who gave me a soul so powerful

Has given me Angels so that I am never alone.

And to sing when I am melancholic

A cheery hopeful song.

He who gave so many ways would

Make sure that I never step on one which is wrong

AND......................

The One who showed me a Destiny so great

Shall show the path which to walk along!!!!!

Letter to Life...

Dear Life,
just a thought,
that you would want to know,
what i want from you...


I don't want a millionaire's mansion,
nor the latest Lexus LS400,
nor an account in the Swiss bank,
or money beyond count...


what use are they to me if I am sad?


the crystal clear pool in my mansion cannot hold my tears
the red Lexus can only match my bloodshot eyes...

while my heart shall crave forever...

what money cant buy...

Dear Life,

Here's what i really want from you:

once , to hold my head high up,

and say to the world,

"I am someone, 

Someone worth praise,

Someone who made her own way to her goal"

i want to shed a tear at the proud smiles,

of all who knew me,

and weep in the arms of my family,

thanking them to have stuck

up with me till the end.

The moment, I shall

Leave you, dear friend and walk into the arms of Death...

I want to do it in style!

Hugging Death like a long lost pal...

Ending this life

With the sweet taste of Success...

Fighting the demon

( in the loving memory of my lovely grandmother, who won her fight against cancer.)

Its time today, now

Time to wake up,

Time to leave behind the strangling sheets,

Time to open the window to let fresh air in...

Time to look up at the sky as it turns PINK...

Its easy to turn  your back,

To let it roam free, to let it attack,

But is it fair?

Let it attack when your loved ones are there?

Imagine...

She means the world to you,

Your existence relies on her...

Would you let it take her away?

Or do all it takes to make her stay?

It is vile, has no feelings,

Wrenches your heart out every single moment;

Knowing that your end is nearby

You are going to leave;

Yet, it is going to stay...

Taking away thousands of lives,

Destroying many more...

I have seen my own grandma,

Crying all night in pain...

But I have also seen,

Her as healthy again...

We took a step, we didn’t let it take her away,

Its time for you...

Take a step... because its time...

Tell the demon we will fight you;

We will stop you...

We will save our loved ones...

Because it is time...

Ode to the Pea without Pod

Saturday night

2 am; winter.

Temperature 7`

Wind 20mph south

In the city of lights

Somewhere on planet Earth…

In her dad’s big apartment,

She woke with a frustrated groan;

The heating’s too high…

The blanket’s too wooly,

“Ah!”

Who turned the light on downstairs?

What a mess of her beauty rest!

How could they not care to make it the

Best; for her…

The posh princess

On the hard and stony pavement,

She sleeps peacefully…

There is no heating to stop her shivering

No blanket to block the gushing wind.

“Huh!”

Wish the headlights would flash regularly.

Felt a bit warm, though it is perfect today;

Atleast a place to sleep – without them police

Raiding. A perfect place for her…

The pauper’s child

What would happen if they came together?

What would they ask each other?

“How do you maintain your zero-figure?”

“That’s pretty easy…

If you have a piece of dry bread…

And not know when you are having the next..,

The ribs stick out in a breeze.”

“How does it feel to savor fresh food?”

“Well, it’s hard to say…

I only remember throwing it up again only.

I am watching my weight, you see.”

You ask me what you have got to do with this.

Just an innocent little pea without the shell, eh?

I tell you what you done…

You little green eyed monster of jealous envy…

Why do you feel delight to the pauper’s child as food,

While are a pain in the posh princess’s bed…

I ask you

What intentions do

You have; in joining

Two separate worlds

In a bond of irony?