Rejoinder

Grandma, you're old
your hair's turned gray
don't laugh and play
like teenage brats.
That's not your forte
You should be wise
and sedate too
The years you.ve lived
are in the past
What makes you think
you'll forego age
and live life fast?
Look around, you'll see
old people sleeping
Take a cue, be like them
quit this useless weeping.

Child, you're young
you cannot know
the joys of being old;
You see my hair's turned gray
You don't see I've turned gold.
Potholes on life's path
I've crossed
And seen the winds
of change
Followed arduous tasks
in duty's name
It's time for me
to spread my wings
kept folded too long
to look around
savor my world
enjoy my song and dance.

Unasked

I left a house
To catch the skies
A thousand prisons
Followed me.
I left a road
To forge a path
A thousand shackles
Deterred me.
I left my name
A new one to gain
A thousand slurs
Showered on me.
Where e'er I go
For or 'gainst flow
A thousand footsteps
Dog me.

Burden of Love

They say I'm wrong
in what I say
in what I think
in my deeds
in the way I sit
or stand,
or sing,or grin:
Yet they love me so
They teach me well
to be a proper me
teach me their ways
so I'll no longer stray
be one in their ranks
one on whom they can bank.
their love's my burden
I'll be frank

Space of my own

Three scores and more
Searching for my space
A space to call own
Space where none to say
Keep these, throw those away
Decor's askew, you need to change
Come, lemme show you the range

Three scores have gone
More scores to come
Stick on new pictures
Use the gum in hand
The original you
The original land
Lost beneath layers
More layers of pretense
When you want to break free
Not a hint of a breeze.

Queerness

I'm not gender queer
That's not why I pay
I'm a "straight" female
With "unstraight:ways
Can't pamper male egos
As I should and must
Can't simper till I bust
Or plead helplessness
That breaks trust
Dress up, I can
I love to look cute
Not for you or you
Not for some brute
I work things out myself
Needn't ask for help
But when I'm forced to
I.m a beaten dogs whelp
That makes me "queer"
In so many ways
Frigid, arrogant, proud
Whatever you choose to say.

I'm  not gender queer
That much I'm sure
Yet the queerness in me
I just cannot cure
I laugh from the heart
Not to be polite
And when I'm breaking
I do it with a smile
My pain becomes work
My anguish disdain
And when you hear me sing
it's summer or rains
That's contrary
I'm sure you all know
When you curse and revile
I take a secret vow
That makes me "queer"
In so many ways
Frigid, arrogant, or proud
Whatever you say.

Hope and Fear

Fear and Hope
live side by side
as neighbors
as siblings
or as twins
I know not

Their see-saw ride
goes up then down
unending in whimsy
unstopped in flight
winner or loser
I know not.

Two sides of a coin
heads and tails
take your chance
somewhere it lands
now or never
I know not.

Many ways to react
many a way to cope
plan your vigil
keep a strict watch
relax and accept
I know not.

Master's Dictate

God made this world
for us all
Man made it different
and made a few crawl
put them in ghettos
threw them in jails
and when they revolted
in anger grew pale.

God made all equal
fraternity of souls
Man became master
the ones to hold sway
their rules they imposed
break them and hell to pay
they'll beat and they'll kick
throw some out of hearth


We brought you, we called you
all that we know
we gave you our toys
those that were in stores
you swarm like varmints
you eat up our tarts.
our minds we've changed now
give 'em back to our boys.

চলার নিয়ম

মুখোশটা কে আসল করে

চল রে দুনিয়ায়ে

দেখ রঙ্গ রসের খেলা

দেখ রে তিন বেলা

বাইরে বসায় বিচার আসন

অন্তরে পাপ দুই বেলা

দেখ রঙ্গ রসের খেলা

বুক চিতিয়ে ঘুরছে দেখ

নেকড়ে শেয়াল হায়েনা

সাদা সিধে জীব গুলো কে

চোখে দেখা জায়েনা

জগত জুড়ে মেলা

দেখ রঙ্গ রসের খেলা

ঢাক পিটয়ে বলে

গল্প ঝুরি ঝুরি

কালকে যদি ধরা পড়ে

থুড়ি থুড়ি থুড়ি

জগত জুড়ে মেলা

দেখ রঙ্গ রসের খেলা

বাইরে সবাই আপন আপন

মনের ভিতর শ্লথ

আলতো বাতাস লাগে গায়ে

ভেঙ্গে গেল ফট

জগত জুড়ে মেলা

দেখ রঙ্গ রসের খেলা