Beyond the desert and the sea, lies a land, and promises broken!
Lamps on mantel, curfewed nights, dawns, and promises broken!
Language of errands, cereals, mending of shirts, and drones,
From a groaning city, of charred clocks, and promises broken!
Your thumbprint’s a coffee stain on the book we swore to finish as one,
A kitchen rose wrinkles on the stove, oilcan, and promises broken!
A child’s golden fleeced in the wind, like crisscrossed flags at war;
Rosaried mouseclicks hurl cannons on maps and promises broken!
An earthquake trembles a teashop, coinless patrons, nuclear tales;
A hoary capital dazzles in debris of headlines and promises broken!
O Qasim, forget and fold one more year, like electric bills unpaid—
Periodic tables from school, civilizations, and promises broken!
Arup K. Chatterjee 