RANJANA SHARAN SINHA

 

The Black Silk Route

 

Out of the old sepia- tinted tableau

frozen in my mind--

Smoky and blurred,

a bubbly boy leaps into life

amid tons of skinny children

swarming out of mud houses,

running behind my blue Hindustan 14

giggling and shouting

in gritty specks of dust!

He hardly knew then

that he was a child

created without a destiny!

 

Unfolding of the year

made him struggle hard:

Too little food,

long hours of work!

Poverty like a woodpecker

hammered into the tender

tree of his fragile body:

Disadvantaged and out-of- school

the boy suffered timeless traumas!

 

Sick and sorrowful

he was a drowning self--

Arms flailing! Water splashing!!

Many times he spoke with God

and prayed desperately,

but his prayers went unanswered.

 

Then with ascending hands

he looked at the skies--

The clouds were changing colours

like furious, warty chameleons:

White, grey, blue grey, black--

Yes, his eyes were glued

to the black and dark masses

racing and roiling!

The boy wished to grab

the freedom and power:

Cyclopean and relentless!

 

In an avalanche

of anguish and anger,

he took a giant stride

from the known to the unknown--

A metamorphosis that

transformed beige into black!

 

M.G. Road

 

The evening slips into

her gorgeous gown,

and approaches like a celebrity

flaunting her curves and beauty:

The grand gala begins in

a frabjous moment--

 

The road seems astir with life:

Audis, Hondas and Dzires

go zooming by;

barbies and gentlemen

in smart and chic outfits,

stroll around the malls

with an endless desire

to buy more and more stuff.

Scent seeps into the air

blessing the olfactory universe!

 

All of a sudden,

through a sea of bobbing heads,

appear the misfits--

Two brown faces clammy with sweat,

come forward with a glimmer

of hope in the eyes:

The thirteen- year-old looks at me

extending his bunch of balloons

while the younger one shows

a crude, unwanted toy!

I signal disapproval:

The child's mouth forms a big O

as he disappears in the crowd!

 

Meanwhile in the orgy,

the orchestra sinks deep into my ears

and I identify myself with

the swank and sophisticated people--

Blind with open eyes,

groping in a flood of light!

 

Burning Feet On Hot Pavement

 

Millions and millions of destitute children

Deprived of schools under utter compulsion.

 

Starving, begging, alone and scarred

Aimless, sad with dreams shattered.

 

Scrounging for waste plastic bottles:

Bleak at best their dark future hovers.

 

Here I find a light- skinned small girl

With thick black hair full of dusty curls.

 

With her brother she moves with big eyes,

Deep within lurk tears and hidden cries!

 

Something comes heavily on me

As the two neglected buds I see:

 

They languish without rain or spring

Rudderless, hopeless and despairing!

 

I wish to rescue them under the grey sky,

A cool lake of compassion I know not why!

 

At least some moments of happiness

Amid hard life and mountain-like miseries.

 

I buy the girl child some chocolates

And a few small packets of sweets:

 

So joyful she becomes-- the cute, little girl,

Live: long, long live, you lovely vagrant bird!

 

Psychedelic spring

In full swing!

The whole- hearted smile

Pushes up into the eyes

A sweet spontaneous

Smize!!

 

RANJANA SHARAN SINHA

 

Dr. RANJANA SHARAN SINHA is an eminent poet, author, academic and retd professor of English. She is a well- known voice in Indian Poetry in English with international recognition.Her poems from her Collection 'Scents and Shadows' are a part of Postgraduate University Syllabus of Purnea University. Her poems, short stories, articles and research papers have been widely published in acclaimed dailies, magazines, e-zines, archives and journals in print and online including Sahitya Akademi's Indian Literature. Her poems have been translated into a number of foreign languages like Greek, German, Polish, Albanian, Chinese, Persian, Spanish, Russian and Nepali and have found space in more than 45 global anthologies including some WPM volumes. She has the honour of receiving a number of awards for her contribution to poetry that includes a commendation from the former President of India, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam for her poem 'Mother Nature' contained in her collection 'Spring Zone'. To name some of her recent awards:1. A Citation of the Brightest Honour, 2020 by Sufi International, Bangalore, 2. Order of Shakespeare Medal, 2021 by Motivational Strips, 3. Best Indian Author Award, 2021 by Critic Space Journal, 4. Independence Day Literary Honour 2021 by Gujarat Sahitya Akademy, 5. Rabindranath Memorial Award, 2022 commissioned by MS and Dept. of Culture, Govt. of Seychelles and its journal SIPAY, 6.The Golden Heart Award, 2022 by World Foundation Poetry. She has authored and published 09 books in different genres and 50 research papers covering various themes and subjects. Academic papers have been presented and published on her poetry and have been compiled in a volume titled "The Myriad Hues of Ranjana Sharan's Poetry”. The subject of her PhD thesis was "Sri Aurobindo and the Epic Tradition" that covers an extensive study of Indian and Western epic traditions with special reference to Sri Aurobindo's magnum opus "Savitri". Besides, she has also completed a comparative, UGC- sponsored literary project (MRP) titled " Nature in the Poetry of William Wordsworth and Sumitranandan Pant. “She is associated with many literary norganizations and global poetry group. One of the members of the Editorial Board, Our Poetry Archive.