Mirror

Chirashree Indrasingh

Translated by Sailen Routray

Pachycereus pringlei forest in Sonoran Desert, Sonora, Mexico
commons.wikimedia.org/ Tomas Castelazo

Wash your face off the mirror.
The scene on the other side will change.
 
On this side, are hills of sand.
On the other side, are fields of paddy,
and a blue river.
 
You wanted to hear a song?
Come, I’ll take you to a country without mirrors.
Then, every scene will sing a song.
And
you yourself will turn
into a scene singing a song.

Note: This poem is from the volume ‘Kebe kebe janha ratire’ published by Kitab Bhavan, Bhubaneswar in the year 2012. 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.