Verdant Dream

We’ve sowed the hybrid seeds in the field distributed

freely by the government; hoping that it’d

produce bountifully, but the time has passed

in the never-ending wait, scorching in the sun

gazing at the parched sky like the linnet bird

we’re terribly drying.

To our misfortune, the last symbol of my wife’s little

nose ring disappears

and everything else left over gets mortgaged

yet, does our suffering ever end?

Like before, the quotidian sun is scorching insanely

the field is full of blocks of cracked soil

in such a heart-wrenching drought

our eyes get drenched in the suffering

our cracked fields scream, but alas,

the crops of our verdant dream never giggle.

This poem was originally published in the book Dhuli Gara by Jadabendra Saha, 2022, by the publishing company Pashchima, in the Odia language.

About the poet

Jadabendra Saha has a B. Ed degree from Sambalpur University. His work appears in various Odia journals. He has a book of poetry, Dhulighara (published by Paschima). He lives in Kesinga, Kalahandi, Odisha in India.

About the translator

Pitambar Naik is an advertising copywriter for a living. When he’s not creating ideas for brands, he writes poetry. His work appears or is forthcoming in The McNeese Review, The Notre Dame Review, Packingtown Review, Ghost City Review, Rise Up Review, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, The Indian Quarterly and elsewhere. He’s the author of the poetry collection, The Anatomy of Solitude (published by Hawakal). He grew up in Odisha and lives in Bangalore, India.