Tegucigalpa

Sailen Routray

Pudong, Shanghai, China
Photo Credit - Wikimedia Commos

Have you been to Tegucigalpa, Silu bhai?

Tegucigalpa?

from Bhubaneswar to Bombay,

from Bombay to Sao Paulo,

from Sao Paulo to the city of dreams,

and from the city of dreams to

Tegucigalpa.

 

The sky like the shadow

of a hundred and seventeen year old champa tree;

the smile of the locals smooth like

the cheeks of Madhu Sapré;

and heavy like their middle-aged exiles

in Sao Paulo; a little like your moustache Silu bhai;

it is there, but not quite.

 

The applique work of the tribals;

quarter-ripe dreams;

frankies of tortillas and shredded pork;

toy toilet pans as small as ones left thumb;

one can get everything in Tegucigalpa.

What should I have got for you?

 

There,

poems carry the shadows

of the masculinities of rivers;

slippers dancing on the breeze over garbage dumps

carry the touch of the feet of Jisu. 

Can you see Tegucigalpa Silu bhai?

Tegucigalpa?

 

Note: A slightly different version of this poem was earlier published in the bilingual literary journal 'Pratilipi'.