Abir walked across the playground
with hands in his pockets
chewing gum
head slightly

to one side
where the heck
is Simcha?
Abir said

he said
he'd be in today?
maybe he's ill
I said

giving his cousin one
more like
Abir said
he doesn't like her

that much
I said
like her much or not
he'd poke her one

if he could
I frowned
what's the frown for?
Abir asked

didn't he bring in
that magazine into school
with those naked women?
didn't he have a pair

of his cousin's *******
in his pocket last month?
I watched Abir
spit the gum into a bin

in one shot
his tongue
running over his lips
loads of boys

get hold
of those magazines
with naked dames
just a learning curve

I said
and those *******
of his cousin
were put there by mistake

he thought
it was his handkerchief
I said
O come on Benny

the kid's a *** fiend
I wouldn't trust him
with my sister
Abir said

you haven't got a sister
I said
well if I had
I wouldn't trust him

with her
Abir said
we stood by a wall
hands in pockets

ABIR
Simcha called
from across
the playground

ABIR
well look you’s turned up?
Abir said
Simcha raced over to us

his blonde hair
in a mess
his school tie loose
about his neck

how are you doing?
Abir asked
greeting Simcha
with a smile

O the trouble
I've had this morning
that cousin of mine
hours in the bathroom

never known anyone
spend so much time
in a bathroom
he said

that's girls for you
Abir said
they spend more time
in a day in there

than we do
in a year
I looked at Simcha
there was a love bite

on his neck
beneath his left ear.

Abir and I
were told
by a prefect
to go and stand

in the assembly hall
after lunch
for running down
the wrong stairway

but we'll be late
for lessons the other way?
Abir said
I don't care

the prefect said
rules are rules
no running down stairs
and not down

the wrong stairway
so we stood
in the assembly hall
by the window

waiting
for the punishment teacher
to come for midday assembly
and hand out

corporal punishment
had to happen one day
I guess
I said

hang on
I have a plan
Abir said
come on

so I followed him
out of the hall
and along
to the prefect room

we spotted the prefect
coming out
of the room
do you smoke?

Abir asked
sure I do
the prefect said
well

if you let us off
you can have these
Abir said
the prefect looked

at the packet
of 20 Senior Service cigarettes
where'd you get these?
the prefect asked

my old lady
gave them to me
Abir said
the prefect

sniffed the packet
ok off you go
but don't
let me catch you again

he said
we went off
there you go
Abir said

bribery works
did your mother
give you the cigarettes?
I asked

no
I liberated them
from the shop
across the road

while other kids
were distracting him
Abir said
I said nothing

as we walked along
to the assembly hall
and took our place
in the lines of boys

Abir smiling
I with a cool face.

1
the goose is putting signature
on the plume detaching from its tail

the queue is overflowed with crowd

groping in the memory of the gathering people
so many safety pins and cello-tapes
are found  

on the shoulders of some wayfarers
there is the stammering cold

2.
the body-language of the moon
is being so changed

the enthusiastic may test

blood came down
when the tap is on

and sweat

now birds from siberia
are flowing in through the disc antenna

the dravidian air is ever changing

now none can get ruined
following all the grammar

3.
the sole hunger of the winter
is being noted down in the note book
covered with human-skin

the clouds of the summer and the rainy season
are salivating

the garrulous spiders are detaching the shells
of the dead deer and putting the gardens in the iron-chest

throwing dry leaves to shoo away the coke
oh, the sleeveless palms
are all the new girl-friends ok

4.
putting on the rain-coat to save the skin
or it’s an armour
is your body safe
fireworks are twinkling
piercing
the fire-brigade has gone to a joyful journey with the clouds
admit the charisma of the bathroom
you the adult buffalo
don’t forget to tell
the experienced cormorants have  flown in from the marshland

5.
diving in search of kisses
I saw all are stings
even the wicker tray with the articles of ceremonial reception  
can’t escape bite
would you be clean
oh engrossed abir
so many flakes of snow on the branches of the guava tree
the festival is in your teeth  also
tame your blood
don’t submerge the river into the waves
and there is the sky
beg a rail  


6.
I pierced the clouds with my fore-finger
And the blood-stain touches my body
the wind which makes the doors and windows
open to public view I can’t stare at its eyes
I push the storm towards the yellow-leaves

7.
sometimes the river calls
as if she will fly like the winged horse
if she be let loosed
where  does she keep the sadness of her placenta
there is no flower-vase
the glass is good enough
though the lover glass has broken with the first kiss
the grass with aromatic roots trembles in the breeze from the candid wings  
the orna flies tearing the caterpillar
would you let your  salted water be wasted

8.
beside the comb there is hair
Is it soft green or the alkaline
How much relevant is that information
Rowing through which water the endemic comes
The afternoon-cloud giggled took permission and went home
bringing an end to today’s play
the unwashed plates after eating are placed on the basin
the night-cigarette goes burning in the mouth of air
on the coughs and expectoration floats the lost mast  

9.
the sands are shy to the extreme
They don’t loot anything
The bricks have much intimacy with the wild creepers
All the komonduls and lances  turned backward
Now you may easily spread your wet cloth in the air
One roof would have dialogues with another in the lost afternoon
One window have eye-sharing with the another

10.
there is the laugh
100% natural
Beauty is written on the eyebrows
that is also a game
new cloths at the time of puja
that is also an addiction
a hidden bunglow
under the tongue
no information of death

Episcopal Church
  One Dear Deer
           Abir

I'm merely a corpse
And you're my soul;
When you're in my arms
I come alive! I come alive !

I'm merely a lungs
And you're my oxygen;
When I breathe you
I come alive! I come alive!

I'm merely a heart
And you're my blood;
When you flow in my veins
I come alive! I come alive!

I'm merely a Temple
And you're my Goddess;
When you dwell in mine
I come alive! I come alive!

Abir Roy