lizard

translated from the Odia by Pitambar Naik

lizard by Jayanti Biswal Behuria 

ଝିଟିପିଟି

ସେଠି କେହି ପ୍ରେମିକ ନଥିଲେ,

ପ୍ରେମ କରୁନଥିଲେ କାହାକୁ କେହି !

ଅନ୍ଧାର'ର ପିଠିକୁ ଢାଙ୍କି ରଖିଥିଲା

ଗୋଟେ ଟ୍ୟୁବଲାଇଟ୍

କିଛି ଝରିପୋକର ଉଦ୍ଦାମତା

ଅଟକି ଯାଇଥିଲା ଯାହା !

କେତେ ହଳ ଆଖି ଅନ୍ଧ ହେଉଥିଲେ

ସଉକରେ ଛାତି ତଳେ ଲୁଚିଥିବା

କଅଁଳ ପ୍ରଶ୍ବାସ ପତ୍ର ମେଲୁଥିଲେ ।

ବଳି ପଡୁଥିଲା ନୀରିହ ବିଶ୍ବାସ

ଗୋଟେ ଝିଟିପିଟିର ଲାଞ୍ଜ ହଲାରେ !

lizard

There were no lovers there, 

nobody loved one another 

a tube light encompassed 

the back of the darkness

just the tawdriness of 

some mayflies had halted. 

Some couples of eyes became 

blind with fond desire and 

the tender exhalation was hidden 

underneath the chest blooming. 

An innocent trust 

had become the scapegoat

in the shaking of 

the tail of a lizard.  

Jayanti Biswal Behuria is a poet from Baleswar, Odisha in India. Her work has appeared in some of the finest Odia journals. Mun Mo Sahita is her debut book of poetry and she has her second book of poetry forthcoming. 

Pitambar Naik, when he’s not creating ideas for brands, he writes poetry. His work appears or is forthcoming in The McNeese Review, The Notre Dame Review, Packingtown Review, Ghost City Review, Rise Up Review, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, The Indian Quarterly, Outlook India and elsewhere. He’s the author of the poetry collection, The Anatomy of Solitude (Hawakal). He grew up in Odisha and lives in Bangalore, India.