Some Indian lines

what really is sadness all about, and how does
sadness look like?
I'd like to think like all Indians writing
in English
that sadness is sadness, and has
quite expressive Indian eyes
if nothing else.

sadness goes around Calcutta's Strand at a pretty amble
and does pretty nothing else.
sadness is almost like innocent cigarettes smoked
as if in a frenzy, as if sadness
would leave tomorrow and leave us all
in some very Indian ecstasy!
what is sadness? can you tell me a fairy tale
about it?

1999

This year crawls toward Calcutta
my beloved misery
like some tiger famished for more
and like tongues performing acts
I have only read in old books
left over from dear beloved College Street
(my intellectual confidant)
and not felt
in the blood of my blood;
So do it to me, my love
help me erupt like sadness
gagged by sadness,
help me run the streets
naked
screaming Holy Murder
and save my dear old Calcutta
my misery and my most
triumphant defeats;
And yet you are still, still
you are yourself and not mine
(like some middle age fetish,
mindful of some girdle of chastity)
your young swings lush
and dangerous
in the air and water and
fire and winter of Calcutta,
and yet you are yourself and
not the years I used to know

^

Biography

Prasenjit Maiti (b 1971) is Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Burdwan University, West Bengal, India. His print publication credits include Nightingale, Pulsar, Monkey Kettle, Green Queen, Poetry Depth Quarterly, Skald, Blue Collar Review, The Journal, Phoenix, Harlequin, Poetry Church and Paper Wasp. Dr Maiti stays at Calcutta and may be contacted at pmaiti@vsnl.com