Three poems by Humraaz

My Mother Calls With Her Worries

Smog has wrapped the city

like a fine wool shawl

when my mother calls to say 

she hasn’t slept in days—

because of the news on TV

and our friend who is dying.

I know she is right;

these are terrible times,

and we have both always 

struggled to calm

the warm flutter in the gut,

the sudden searing 

behind the left eye.

I tell her I love her and not to worry:

Delhi’s roads are wide enough

for farmers and tractors 

and all kinds of lovers—

we’ll plough under the wasteland, 

plant wheat and white clover

 

*

Delhi Progressive Writers’ Association Conference

-Lodhi Garden, December, 2021

 

I was reading that story by Manto

about two old friends, now soldiers,

fighting each other in Kashmir,

and I was thinking about how

the distance between us

has grown, but also how

we sat on that bench today

in the smoky, fading sun–

we were talking about fascim

and our fathers,

but really about ourselves–

and how you said,

It’s tough because we all know

there’s only one way

any of our stories ever end.

I forgot to ask you about the last time

we saw Mangalesh Dabral,

or what you think

about Varavara Rao.

You told me you believe

in what you’ve written,

and anyway, most of the time

they don’t actually put poets in jail.

But sometimes they do,

and my friend if they do,

we will stand by you,

I promise we will.

 

*

In Front of the Chemist,

one man cuts the distanced queue

to buy a tube of toothpaste;

we shake our heads,

but in this heat, 

who has the strength 

to shout?

Some time later,

another man approaches,

and says in a shaking voice:

Please, I need two face 

shields, please—

I must go to the hospital now.

We shuffle our feet and bow 

our heads; for once,

we’re all glad to give way.

 *

Note: The poems have been published with permission from the poet. 

Bio: Humraaz is a poet from Delhi. He whispers poems about the dark times. He has been published in a few noted publications. You can find him on Instagram here and his website, here.