BIJAYANANDA MISHRA

 

TWILIGHT CITY

 

Earth spins ceaseless brittle beauty,

Dazzles a populace bright capital city,

A couple of centuries ago, hopes of the race,

Language, literature, commerce trace,

Millennia roll back earth spin, wonder,

The river, lifeline of land export splendor,

The city on the bank of a river, a harbor,

Boats sail far off in the ocean, spices flavor,

Nine-yard cotton cloth superfine, exotic,

Fit well in bamboo core space, majestic,

Forest cover, treasure, rich in mineral,

Dense forest animal, products, herbal,

Island people enamored exotic goods,

The great land of the race, towns to woods,

Rich in gold, jewels, architect, temple,

Unique rock carvings, threadworks assemble,

A month after Dussehra, boat festival,

Celebrations of voyages immemorial,

The city observes past glories of sailors,

Once the capital of the land n race valor,

The fort in ruins stands reminds well,

Invasion n surrender of the city, tragedy dwell,

People under invaders looted blindfold,

Alien culture fractured race multifold,

Illiteracy, poverty, hunger, illness,

Twilight city wailed mercy in distress,

Colonial rule, city capital, influence,

Rose in colonial education, business,

Region of a people proud of language,

United again, culture, the city had an image,

Earth spins to centuries, city prosper,

River transit, transport of good better,

Boats in the riverbank, cartload goods,

City accumulate crops, colony moods,

Loot through the river to ship in sea most,

The spine of a people broke, self-respect lost,

The city called through fiery poet ignite,

O’ skeletal of race unite n stand upright,

Break the chain of bondage for freedom,

Remember valiant past, richest kingdom,

The city turned fountainhead, resurrection,

Leaders grew in city, affected lava molten,

Inspired the city, born a state for a race,

One language, a dance, host tribal face,

Earth spins further on-axis, a lost capital,

Ruling machinery missing, decline gradual,

River transport vanishes, river sand bed,

Traffic turns to roadways, vehicles thread,

Twilight of a citizen in years, in warm tears,

Missed celebration of the voyage, boats this year,

The city is losing again glories, miss fiery leaders,

Twilight city witness, darkness rises in the ladder,

The prime pace of education, culture, business,

Twilight city laments, everything slow loses,

No theater, poets, writers, singers, doctors,

No more the city boasts on motion pictures,

No more center of business, commerce, export,

Arteries of dark lanes, two rivers dry bed adopt,

Fear spinning globe atlas spin further shiver,

The twilight city calls to a halt, vanishing forever.