Bou’s Saree

Chirashree Indrasingh

Translated by Sailen Routray 

The old Jewish cemetery near Heinsheim, Bad Rappenau, German
Photo Credit - Wikmedia Commons 

                               

Bou’s saree is pure magic. 

Have you not seen this magic?

From a box emerge 

a kaleidoscope of butterflies, 

kites with tails, balloons, 

fingers cut fresh from the palm, 

shards of glass, cracked lips, crackling fires, 

and thin, translucent fogs. 

When the sun is too strong, 
or there is a storm, 

bou’s saree opens up and spreads 

like an umbrella on one’s head 

and turns the season. 

On highways when chewing on shards of glass, 

one is feeling bored with gods, dreams, 

insurance companies, fate, 

destiny and lottery tickets, 

we hang bou’s saree 

as a screen on our doors and windows 

and quickly fashion our dream islands; 

foams from the seas, 

shadows of coconut trees and silences.

 

Bou’s saree is the fantastic green of kalama tank; 
where there are no thorns, 

no dew, 

when everything is bright and clear; 

only her rage in the forest 

with her stripes of yellow and black, 

and mad steps and madder roars, 

when we won’t get our rightful share 

of the moon or arisa pitha.

 

In bou’s eyes these days 
I see the helplessness of a magician 

who has to ask for pennies 

after having produced a shower of gold coins 

from the air. 

I have not been able to ask her to tell me 

whether she has sought and lost last spring 

the feel and the excitements 

of someone dear. 

But bou’s saree is still pure magic.

Note: Chirashree Indrasingh (1966-present) is one of the foremost contemporary writers of fiction in Odia, as well as a formidable poet in her own right. She published her first book of Odia short stories, titled 'Bengabati katha' (Frog Woman’s Tale) in 1997. Since then she has published seven short story collections, two anthologies of poems, and a couple of novellas. 'Utiani Sanja,' 'Aanka Banka Naee,' 'Bidambana,' and 'Sua' are some of her notable works. She is the recipient of Bhubaneswar Book Fair Award, Kanheilal Award, Subrata Rath Memorial Award, and a Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, amongst others. She teaches Political science at U.N. (Autonomous) College, Adashpur, Odisha.