Although Your Heart Melts Down

Naresh Shakya

Although your heart melts
only a glacier can flow down this
your heart freezes up into an ice rock
in this very condition, how tyrannical, cruel and poisonous
and painful your presence becomes for us!
Maybe your womb embodies such a fertility as can irrigate
the essence of life
can we ever expect this?
Maybe your lips possess
such a heat as can quench the thirst
in us for creating humanity
can we ever express
our slightest desire for this?
Why should we then take pride in
your inert beauty that is sans sensitivity
by shadowing all the lovely horizons
of possibility in us
by transforming them into cold frostiness
that can widen our roads to possibility
why should we take pride in it?
Why should we praise
although your heart melts,
only glacier can flow down this.

Translated by Govinda Raj Bhattarai

[Poet Naresh Shakya ‘Niraj’ fundamentally believes in progressive trends, and his poems depict his treatment of various facets of life from the depth of sensibilities. Equally, conscious to aesthetic refinement, poet Niraj fills his prosaic poems with the melody of music. Poet Shakya was born on 25 November 1946, and stated writing in 1963. “Kalilo Balak” (A Young Child), a poem published in Rooprekha in 1964 is his first published work. His books include Naresh Shakya ‘Niraj’ ka Kavita ra Geetharu (Poems and Songs of Naresh Shakya Niraj) Parivesh (Surrounding) and Andhakarko Brittabhitra (A Documentary of Darkness)m, all collection of poems. The awards and honors he has received include Sahitya Sandhya Award, National Talent Award, Vyathit Poetric Award, Ashwikrit Vichar Award, Free Nepal Dot Com Honor, Sahitya Sandhya Honor etc. ]