Chet Nath Kanel ‘Harit’
The birds flying in the sky could watch
The sun smiling in the sky could put glances
The big butter-tree of my farmland could easily vigilance
The kadam trees of nearby forest\ could have a peep
The banana trees could also contemplate
This is a reality.
I don’t watch TV
I don’t use mobile phones
I don’t open my bank-account
I don’t buy new clothes
I don’t need to buy new books
And,
I don’t need a big house
And,
I say, this thatched-hut is my ‘green resort’
This old hut is my organic ‘dream-home’
— where I can sleep well
— where my wife and kids feel fearless
Because
I am a “minimalist”
I am a naturalist
Becaus-
I am a Chepang/ I am a Raute
I am a Musahar/ I am a Dom
I am a “minimalist”!!
Trans: Bidhan Acharya
[Kanel is an expert of Natural and Human Resources. Also a poet, he is associated with Nepal Shrasta Samaj, a literary organizations. ]