– Shrawan Mukarung

Shrawan Mukarung

The Kids –
are warming themselves
by the fire, Under the lamppost

There is a chill in the air
Down the ages

It is said

in order to keep warm, they burned firewood

That they set the fire,
to
the wind and the water

We lit the tyres of
Broken mini-busses

We lit newspapers and
the politician’s pamphlets

Today, the kids are burning
The last pages of the Testaments

Of religions,

Film-fare and modern poetry

What the tomorrow’s kids would become?
What will they become, huh?

There is a chill in the air
down the ages

the Kids –
are getting warm
Under the lamppost, by the fire.

Translation: Himal Khadka

Himal khadka