Akhlaq Dorjee Chanda
(Poems dedicated to Tushar Roy)
Factory Tagore
Juggling oranges and eggs. Plus, tables for 17 memorised
At such tender age?
Remarkable acumen. Nothing surprises you anymore.
At Dokkhini they teach you to be surefooted.
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Rigor Mortis
Mensa and pauses. Strange premonitions.
Can’t possibly be biological? Is it figurative—can’t put my fingers onto?
But freedom, ah free free—how strange would that month be
After all these years of bloody conquests.
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Sukanta Majumdar
Nurtures a very sensitive ear. Patience and practice.
Has composed a trillion soundscape collages so far. A master archivist.
As I walk past Hindustan Park to Purnadas Road
(An insightful place Bhaipo! Charcoaled and Bistroed)
I think of Sukanta’s ears. Flapping out.
Does he rinse his drums with tepid water? Every morning?
Somewhere he mentioned unobtrusiveness.
Is he good enough to get at the bottom of this trompe l’oeil.
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Kalyaniyashu
A deadly wish. Can you imagine such a Kantian greeting?
It’s these kind of exchanges that leads to chronic whooping cough.
Besides, I am not Kalidasbabu and you hardly Shefali.
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Ancien Regime
To err on the side of liberals just happens to be the best available option. Lets collaborate.
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Returning From America
Is cakewalk: if you stop listening to ghawre pherar gaan
And sundry such enormous commitments, Shonai
Or begin to love Agha Shahid Ali far too much for comfort
Instead concentrate on rules: Rules sustain. Rules devour
Like taking and giving daily, routine upper cuts
Here and there, off hand, casual
Tearing apart beleaguered loved ones with more longing.
Morphine endures.
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Caterpillar
Nocturnal. Tubular and hairy. Three pairs of true legs.
And million muscles in unison—wiggling in and out.
Detecting vibrations. At specific frequencies.
Soft body, head capsule hardened.
Leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipments.
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Petticoat Strings on the Side
Those who deal in more complex ideas than class, caste or status
Must notice which side of the waist the lady ties her petticoat knot.
Elementary aspects of oligarchy.
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Bongolokkhi Super Lottery
Hazar wares. Muchi-bazar.
Queer eelish, still in throes
Vermilion: Rangajawba
Bussing days, passing posts
Bulk is good, Shivaratri?
Rules bequeath: Partition
In transit, relentless
First at left, smelling right?
Color of dawn shefalika
In memory, in pursuit
Would that come, fanfare?
Ticketing week once again
Greenish tinge, trance afloat
Tripling crores, how about?
Next fortnight, sure shot.
Punching bag, Baba sweats.
Punching slot, Baba lives.
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Bandmaster @ Cossipore
Caberina Sarah Temple
Firm, slack living pore
Longs for those sure strokes. Remember bandmaster?
Casting recaster.
Moving moved. Piping hot.
He shall start at 7 dot.
Thursday nights magic moon
Sarah Temple, will you swoon?
Drimiti drim, at his bid
Off counter selling weed.
Sax-cello lustre
Remember bandmaster.
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Akhlaq Dorjee Chanda is a poet and a soccer player working from Dibrugarh, Assam.
