On the Bank of the Hudson

Pawan Aalok

Every day,
every evening
I have been watching
the sky over the Hudson River.
Almost always
helicopters, water taxies
moving across the Hudson;
boats and ferries
I have been watching – Holland and Lincoln tunnels
the skyline over Manhattan
along the edge of the Atlantic
in the going ships.
The statue of liberty
always advocating for freedom
the Empire State Building, seen nearby
Jackson Height and the small Nepal of ridge wood
the debris of Twin Tower
those worthless moments of history!
On the bank of Hudson River
as I walk along
looking at her waves
I remember
my native inhabitants of Karnali
who’re enduring agony
getting not even salt
let alone the question of grains.
I remember
our girls, daughters
who’ve been living dead
who’ve been molested in gulf
where, they had been
selling their houses and farmlands
to Sustain their offspring’s life
to actualize their beautiful dreams.
I remember
the corpse of our youths,
brought in coffins
on airplanes almost every day.
I remember
our descendants
not getting to eat even a single meal
and not getting to wear even a single cloth.
I remember
the disgraceful offspring of my mother (Nepal)
who raise disgust among people
who cause war
who are transplanting the plants of poison
and cultivating them.
How painful is this surrounding!
I look around, all over here
arrogance teems from everywhere
magnificence and grandeur glittered from everywhere
but what is the worth of it for us?
Does history persist like this forever?
I torment by pain,
I flounder
I think
the sky-scrappers of Manhattans
and the Statue of Liberty nearby
are staring at me!

Trans: Mahesh Paudyal

[Pawan Aalok is a poet, novelist and essayist. His works have been published in Nepali, English and Bengali. He is the former chairperson of Nepal Shrasta Samaj, a premier literary organization in Nepal.