Cranberry Day

Ferdous Nahar (translated by Farid Rahman)

The leaves sweat heavily
Picking up
From the molten-gold colour
An eternity of happiness
Beneath my feet trembles
The ground of fallen leaves --- I might wish for such a grave
With age my wish list has changed
From clapping palms to somber looks
Childhood to maturity grasping Thought's forelock
The mirage of words floats before my eye
What's your name, my friend, your country?
Since you've come this way, do sit down let's see… The leaves sweat heavily
My body feels feverish
The brand-new day melts
Into molten-gold deceit.
Ferdous Nahar is a Bangladeshi poet. Farid Rahman is a schoolteacher.