As you were sitting near the window
For the birds arriving from distant country
Your voice gently settled
...
On the ground in front
A heap of children
They writhe
Like the fish caught in net
...
Because I can't cope with the inside
I keeping on escaping outside
I get out from the nose and mouth
...
PRAFULL SHILEDAR Poet-Translator Prafull Shiledar (b-1962) is a well known Indian poet writing in Marathi language. He has four Poetry Collections in Marathi, two in Hindi, one in Kannada, five translated books and three edited books. He has written prose on socio- literary issues. His poems are translated into Indian languages including Hindi, English, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Manipuri, Gujarati, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi and foreign languages including Slovak, Turkish & German. His poems are included in national and international poetry anthologies. He has read his poetry in many literary festivals and events in India, Europe, USA and Middle East. He has translated Indian, American, European poetry in to Marathi. His poetry is taught in many universities from Maharashtra and Karnataka state. His poetry and translations are honored by many awards including Maharashtra State award (Keshavsut Award) for best poetry collection and Sahitya Akademi Translation Award (2018) by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Since 2018 he is the chief editor of one of the oldest Marathi quarterly literary journal ‘Ýugvani'. # # # Contact: 6-A, Damodar Colony, Surendranagar, Nagpur 440015 India email: shiledarprafull@gmail.com)
A Bird
As you were sitting near the window
For the birds arriving from distant country
Your voice gently settled
On the branch of the tree in front
A bird arrived from the sky
And settled on the same branch
It once again gave back
Your own voice to you
You didn't realize
What had happened
You are singing
Along with the bird
# # #
(Translation by Santosh Bhoomkar)
Skin can't cover everything It only covers The skeleton Wrapped with flesh Which dangles even in a college laboratory -Prafull Shiledar
I pressed your hand with so much love Suddenly your palm cracked Then I realized it was just Your wax image - Prafull Shiledar
Children keep scratching their own silence. -Prafull Shiledar
Because I can't cope with the inside of self, I keep on escaping outside...
In a grain of salt / Murmurs softly / The azure sea. It's a reflection of sky seen in the dewdrops of poetry.