Zibananda Dash
THOUSANDS OF YEARS MERELY PLAY


  Thousands of years merely play like fireflies in darkness.
  Pyramids all about. The smell of coffins.
  Moonlight upon sand. Here and there shadows of date palms
  Like disintegrated columns. Assyria stands dead-humbled.
  Stench of mummy on our bodies: all of life's business is finished.
  "Remember?" she asked. I queried merely, "Banalata Sen?"
Translation: The Poet