Third Village 

Still have to wait for Relief

determined destiny drenched by politics

in poverty ridden Somalia

echoing the refrain of insufficiency.

Rather, earthquake should occur?

Relief would have been chock-a-block,

securing a one-time meal for the belly.

Speaks the reverie of Birman*.

A graduate daughter returns home planning

to open a beauty parlor shop

through the road inside the file.

Frustrated sperms of Birman

unable to conceive a word.

Having discovered this famine of word,

the local Neta* summons a congregation

where a salesgirl spreads an affording solace

Chyaa!* Duplicate solace which seems

just like a clasp of lightning to the village.

Yet Earth and Village are alike

Earth endures the farmer’s plough to brew life

While the village endures solace to brew dreams.

Still have to wait for BPL* rice,

Relief dependent Fate

Rather, landslide should occur?

To live in a relief camp would have been splendid

blessed with everything Sarkari*

Bhaat* and Tarkari*.

There is scarcity of water in the Village

Did his updated status in facebook

reach the government?

Did the President read it or not?

Prime Minister, liked it or not?

In thousands of Birmansalla*

There is no water

no Khana*, uncovered

Chana* and Mana*

As this is neither the village of the President nor

Of the Prime Minister.

This is Third Village

Yes, a Third Village.

                                                             - Translated by Dweep Mustang

 

Birman-  Typical Nepali name of a boy

Neta- Minister, Politician

Chyaa – Ugh! Exclamation of disgust.

BPL- Below Poverty Line

Sarkari- Government

Bhaat- Rice

Tarkari- Curry

Birmansalla- “Birman”- Typical Nepali name of a boy, “Salla” is a School or an institution.

Khana- Food

Mana-Clothes

Chana- Shelter

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Prabin Khaling is a senior journalist and the editor of “Purvanchal Bharati”, a weekly National Nepali tabloid from Sikkim. His works have been published in several Nepali magazines. He joins the set of poets who are termed to be as Progressive poets in Nepali Literature. Moreover, his art of interest lies in Photography (also the photo journalist for The Telegraph), reading and hiking off shores.  His upcoming set of four anthologies entitled Gaon ma Kavita (Poems on Villages), Jhari (Rain), Maya (Love) and Selected Poems of Prabin Khaling (translated poems) are set to unveil by the end of this year.