A Poem by Triin Soomets, Estonia

Good Girls, Bad Girls

I

bad girls go
to the bad girls' heaven
where they can do whatever they want
play whatever they want
have whatever they want
kiss whoever they want
mix up everything
there is no difference
between bad girl' heaven
and earth

II

good girls go
to the good girls' heaven
where they can do whatever they want
play whatever they want
have whatever they want
kiss whoever they want
mix up everything
there is no difference
between good girl' heaven
and bad girls' heaven

III

good girls
weren't born good to the core
they were normal
until something happened
they are so afraid of their feelings now
that they have buried
every emotion
deep beneath their excusing smile

IV

bad girls
weren't born bad to the core
they were normal
until something happend
they are so afraid of their feelings now
that they have buried every emotion
deep beneath their immodest smile

V

bad girls and good girls
never talk to each other
never go anywhere together
they can't stand each other
can't look each other in the eye
they know why it happened
they know there is no good answer
so

VI

so they have stopped asking
they just go
down the street
gang of bad girls
gang of good girls
do they want to take revenge?
they go down the street
their hearts are beating
their sweaty hands are empty
men are shouting and whistling
they don't turn round

VII

they go
down the street
round the circle
down the narrow path
they have to watch out
they can't afford to stumble
or look back
not anymore

*

(More Poems by Triin Soomets)
 

A poem by

A Poem by  Subhojit.M.Chakraborty

 
The god that failed
(Dedicated to the victims of communal violence)

I saw her for the last time.
How beautiful was she:
Her hair flowing like a river of wine
And her eyes filled with me.

She said run and I ran.
I don't know wether it was the adrenalin or
The sight of the saffron horde that was spearheading into our small locality.
And soon it was saffron no more , but
Red
And we all fled
From that brutal spot.

Later on we were all assured that the bloodshed of the innocent believers would be avenged.
We all rejoiced but I was scared.
I loved her.

And soon a skull-capped mob was out on the streets demanding justice in quite an ironical way.
But I parted my way through the blood-soaked and panicked streets.

I wanted to see her, be with her
In this troubled times.
But I was late. Too late
To change my fate and her's as well.

Years later I still wonder-Why do we have to be different?
Why cant we all be the same? Is it because of the different animals we slaughter or of the different festivals we celebrate?
Why did I have to loose her? My questions remain un-answered.


( More poems by Subhojit.M.Chakraborty )

A  Poem  by Shernaz Wadia

My Land, My Legacy


i am from a seed

of a foreign country

blown by adversity

rooted firm and deep

into the liberal bosom

of this gracious land



of Krishna and Radha

of Ram and Sita

where wars were fought

between good and evil

this land of Laxman and Bharat

where today Cain stops not

to sink fangs into Abel's throat



i am from this land of yoga

and of Gautama Buddha

the land of love and peace...

now of brewing unrest

this land whose aridity

guzzles farmers' blood

this land of leprous corruption

contorting and mangling...



i am from this land

of exemplary intelligence,

fragile forbearance,

shameful superstitions,

glorious traditions and

glaring contradictions

a tiny seed into an orchard grown

my legacy - a treasure chest

of complexities intricate.