Here is a poem The New Leam feels happy to share with its readers – a poem that arouses hope in human possibilities.
Glum-Faced
Keshavsut
In the classroom a teacher called me ‘glum-faced’, and I thought –
O Guru, my face is glum.
Yes, all who look at it are disappointed.
All know it, it is so obvious.
But why did you have to say it?
What pleasure did you get thereby?
‘ His face is glum indeed, but who knows
Providence might make him sing
new poems to make the world and people happy!’
Did such a simple thought, for a moment,
cross your sophisticated mind, goodness gracious!
The people who you think are ants,
O guru! they might fly like birds in the sky,
those who seem ash-heaps may have hidden embers,
to burn the whole world to ashes, who can guarantee?
From this very glum face of mine may flow in days to come
a stream, beautiful, ever-pleasant–
If not you, your children might quench their thirst drinking from it.
Nobody then would ever ask,’How was the poet’s face?’
Translated from Marathi by Prabhakar Machwe.
