A Partition occurred and we left our home..

The following text is a guest article by Srishtee Sethi from India

A Partition occurred and we left our home..

__

Collected Memories &
Left trunks and boxes behind

Picked up the keys
And left the locks on the latch

Tied up some wheat bread together for the long journey across the border
But left tandoors, clay ovens and kitchens behind

Picked up the Jasmine flowers from the by-lanes of Abbotabad, KPK, Pakistan
But left the silhouettes behind

Picked up the dupatta* for honour
But left our pride behind

Collected all the photographs 
But left the panoramic views of the valley behind 

Collected our relentless passion for freedom
But left behind the youth and juvenescence

Finally took a deep Breath to leave
And broke hearts

A Partition occurred and we left our home..

Srishtee Sethi

*dupatta = stole/shawl

original poem in Hindi

एक विभाजन हुआ 

__

यादें समेटी 
बक्से छोड़े 

चाबियाँ उठाई
ताले छोड़े 

रोटियां बांदी 
चूले छोड़े 

चंपा के फूल उठाए
परछाइयां छोड़ी 

चुन्नी उठाई 
आबरू छोड़ी 

तसवीरें समेटी 
नज़ारे छोड़े 

जूनून इकट्ठा किया 
जवानी छोड़ी 

सांस भरी
और दिल तोड़े 

एक विभाजन हुआ

Leave a Reply