Bhupeen Khadka
Rivers,
unlike humans engage in politics
not even are diplomatic
breaking the walls of dead consciousness
lifting the vile hands
do not throw mud at each other
do not keep hatred.
neither the rivers
divide by the colors
nor do on the castes
rivers provision in their laws
right to flow equally—even to streams
right to expansion— a sea
with no prohibition
rivers can climb up hills
rivers can collapse hills
Rivers know
to go dry when they wish for
to swell up, too
but never they
know how to bow
know how to sorrow
rivers unlike the human
know not to escape from distant
seeing the poor, dwarf streams cheated by the Source
afraid of the hurt their egos
rivers do not catch a separate way
afraid of the colors that don’t match
the white water can admix
to the black
also, the white water to the white
the black to the white
rivers are not inborn Negroes
rivers are not inborn Whites
rivers are not Aryans or Mongols
not the Hindus, the Muslims
Not the Buddhists, the Christians
Rivers are like the rivers
They are unlike humans.
Translated into English by Hem Bishwakarma
Poet Bhupeen is the author of renowned poetry collections: Hajar Barshako Nindra and Suplako Hawaijahaj, essay collection Chaubees Reel and a novel Maidaro. He lives in Chitawan.
Translator Bishwakarma is an emerging translator and poet. He is published in different online portals and volumes of several poetry books as a contributor.