Narden Rumba
Rising above the slope,
the sun stops in the mid-sky
for a moment;
touches the mountain with its breast,
and stands still for a while.
Sitting in the middle, when it escorts me
towards the fringe of life,
I get to forget the darkness somehow,
and elevate above human settlements
numerous currents develop in the sky;
I rise further higher,
my nails and flesh, thin and scatter
like the clouds, and dissolve in the blue
this way, all the time
a warm and pleasant midday
sets out in search of a new breath of new development
tearing the ultimate form and face of man off.
[Late Narden Rumba is a poet and lyricist from Darjeeling. His published works include Prakshep (Collection of poems, 1978), Narden Rumbaka Kritiharu (2004), Mrigatrishna (Poetic drama), Bhittechitra (Collection of poems, not published as a different book), and Duniya (Play, not published as a different book). He also edited the journal Hamro Sano Patrika (1971)]