My Dress Hangs There <br /> <br />My house was by the sea, <br />I love the sea. <br />It taught me how to nurture dreams <br />Within the heart; <br />And the constant roar of the waves <br />Filled my heart with longing. <br /> <br />Even now, <br />You can clearly see my ruddy reflection <br />On the balcony of the multistoried palatial house; <br />And the spectacular view of the sea <br />With ships passing <br />To and fro. <br /> <br />On either shore, <br />The statue of liberty <br />Announces its presence <br />By raising its hand. <br /> <br />The mighty echo <br />Of my muted weeping <br />Rings across air and sky. <br /> <br />My red-green dress still hangs <br />In the prison of your vigilant eyes! <br /> <br />I still long for that run-away heart of mine <br />That loved to gather flowers? <br /> <br />My severed hand, writhes in pain <br />Among the left-over food <br />Rotting in the dust bin <br />What does it want to say? <br />To whom? <br /> <br /> <br />The chorus of pain of those gathering <br />In the middle of the ruins <br />To save the damned earth <br />Or to bury it in the filth of the commode. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I understand and get ready! <br />Many such tender buds <br />Get crushed under feet and wilt <br />Many songs forget their beats. <br /> <br /> <br />Even today, <br />Time stands still. <br />The parched epochal bird <br />Has not flown away till now <br />Plainness still hangs on <br />The drying lines of <br />The mechanical world, <br />Just like my dress. <br /> <br />Ah, my hanging red-green dress!<br /><br />Syed Ahmed Shah<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-dress-hangs-there-translation-of-an-original-assamese-poem-by-rousanara-begum/
