NO SMOKING




1


Doctor warned, “Your liver will strangle –
If you do not stop this habit”.
“That flower fell off long ago”
I responded.

“I might lose you if you hang on with this habit”
Gracy says.
“I already lost myself” I declared.

Next turn was my friend who is a story writer.
“I can’t see you as a character who smokes”
“You better do not have this protagonist in your tale”
I affirmed.

She whispered, “Your lips have become black”
I announced, “Not even a kiss with fag smell is available”

“Why are you deteriorating yourself” inquiry from Jinu.
“Just because, I don’t know how to spoil others”. My answer.

“K S R T C buses which arrived late taught me smoking”
A stranger said.
“I lighted a cigarette for the initial time, just for some light”.
My response with realization.

“They shout that you are a chain smoker”
My sister’s version.
“There will be no smoke without fire”
My variation.

A board in the hospital was engraved.
“No smoking here”.
“Everything else is allowed?
I asked.

“God will not pardon suicidal behavior”.
That was from Parish Priest.
I could say this much.
“Clouds are created from God’s cigar”


2


In this night filled with solitude,
God, let me have a fag which has soul and
Let me reach out to clouds.



Translation : Aju Abraham
ajabraha@gmail.com

Dance


(painting: Pablo picasso)


When Arab adolescence strikes football

In the fenced ground of the Corniche Park

A Sudanese guy who sits on the nearby stone bench

Feels the thrill on his legs



For the one who knows to strike a goal

The biggest hunger is to strike the ball



And me? I don't' have a name



When the fisherman swims away

Loosing his boat and net in the flood

And faces a group of huge sharks

He gets a chill on his spine



When one of the cutest babies

Among the nursery kids cries loudly

Milk oozes from the nun's breast



The swimmer

Crawls on a camel

In the desert



I don't want anything else

Only the ball and opponents

Let thousands or millions come

Let the goal post be miles away

I don't want anything else



Once, on the tenth floor

While carrying the cement bag

One moment, just for a moment,

The sun tempted like a big ball



While surging ahead with the ball

In the sky ground

The blow came unexpected

Its mark is still on the back



There are balls, which can be tackled by anybody



No, not all the movements forward

End up in goals

And there are no games without fouls

Even in dreams



In the ground in front now

No Arab children are left



Only ball, ball, ball



It moves on its own

This side and that side

Runs out of the ground

Surges to the goal post

Sometimes hides somewhere



In pure solitude

And very secretly

The ball looks at me and smiles

A throb of the destiny

On the fingers of the legs



When the ground became

Empty of balls and legs

Two legs began to dance

Between the evening and night


Translation:: Ismail Meladi
ismail.meladi@gmail.com
http://ismailmeladi.blogspot.com/