Thursday, 30 January 2025

IDENTITY CARD (Poem) by S Joseph

IDENTITY CARD by S Joseph

Translated by K. Satchidanandan

In my student days

a girl came laughing


Our hands met mixing

her rice and fish curry


On a bench we became 

a Hindu-Christian family


I whiled away my time

reading Neruda’s poetry;

and meanwhile I misplaced 

my Identity Card.


She said,

returning my card: 

'the account of your stipend

is entered there in red’


These days I never look at 

a boy and a girl lost in themselves. 

They will part after a while.

I won't be surprised even if they unite. 

Their Identity Cards

won't have markings in red. 

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