Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
during the last sunset on Tiger hill poetry suddenly stood up &
walked back home saying that the light effects were just too
dramatic
it was a strange fragmented dark that led it home & then vanished
just as it crossed the omega point near Chitpur & entered Motibibi’s
lane
poetry promptly drew the night over its eyes & lurked through
all the secret whore joints attempting to investigate their political
rights
the bargaining over it hobbled into another turning & entered
the country liquor shop where it slumped into a corner where a
lizard was weaving a spider’s web
for hours they discussed why the secret grass was not so secret
after all & why the smell of the sea cannot be trapped on a
toast with a butterknife
during the last sunset on Tiger Hill poetry suddenly disagreed
with god as to the need for death & recruited a phantom crew to
bring our ancestors back
This is a part of a long poem written by Poet / Filmaker, Pritish Nandy published in his book, Riding the Midnight River 1975. I have reproduced this piece which is a stunning example of the way Indian Poetry written in English changed and broke the usual norms during those years.
Pastel/Ink Drawing by Amitabh Mitra
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