The Blessed

Himanshi

to you a dark rose

for reasons known to all

including conmen admen

musclemen of war

many though

loathe to admit it

himalayan praise to

infernal abuse

in two days’ time

record of records

but you unfazed

rebuttal

in loss in pain

memorable

steep price to pay

for speaking patience

love grace to

hate’s ghoulish face

though

given the dark

beware you be

snipers authorised

stalk the land

speaking once

soft and clear

echoing through time

speaking for many

you’ve spoken enough

wading memory

let us smell

another rose

another time

another clime

mad defender of peace

speaking twice thrice

repeated unheeding

she never spoke again

bullet-frozen in

wayside drain

Himanshi

blessed is she

who gave you life

suckled to humanity

blessed the man

who helped

blessed we all

to have met you

in newsprint telly

bazaar chaos

drawing room dross

to have met you

in silence

seas of sadness all around

blessed the memory of

the missing one

who knows

he’d have choked you

‘with love and

love’s happiness’

blessed the Republic

priding on ornaments

still unstolen

Kolkata, 2025

Vidyarthy Chatterjee is in his late 70’s and lives in Kolkata.