Kashmir

Your may tear me to tatters

And scatter me as torn leaves

But I will piece me together and live

And be my own self

And reclaim you

I will predict

reading your scriptural texts aright

Derive meanings

And bandage my wounds of tomorrow.

When you stood face to face, Kashmir,

I considered it futile to arrive at meanings

For I knew that I had to play safe

with the piercing thrust of meanings

Now that I am in exile

I will let the spear prick me

Partly in my forehead, partly through my liver

Partly at a stop here and in the path there

O Kashmir, are you living your life in the valley?

Do you know

you are no more the history you were

Not even the dates

Are you aware

How I am living you outside the valley?

How I am stitching up the disjointed leaves

of your ancient books?

O Kashmir, you can turn wily

Could you disown the explication of your own written words

I will strive to explore new dates from your own writ for winning your back.

Kashmir realize at least

When my eyelashes tire of watching your incoming paths

When my eyes can no more shower tears on the paths

You can not help coming back

Nor can you help proving your dates true

Else, you will wander in exile, with a crumpled baggage on you head

Even inside the valley

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Courtesy:  Dr Rattan Lal Shant and  Pangs  Of  Exile 1998 Published by Sharda Peeth Prakashan