Fish and I
written by: Rajesh Chithira
translated by: Jaya Anitha Abraham
When I was young,
I used to catch fish
From the brook
Near my home
When the water in
The cup of our palm
Drains off,
The fishes start fretting
Then we return them
To the water in the brook.
After quite some time,
I swam into the palm
Of another country
Like a grown up fish.
Sometime earlier,
I got another fish
From the same stream
My father told me
It will tunnel through
The wall of the well,
And swim away
To somewhere else.
When my father was not watching,
I let that fish stay
In a bucket
And I lowered it
Into the well.
I looked into the well,
Many times,
To see the fish,
I repeatedly called it
By the name I gave
But, I was disappointed.
The country
In which I lived
Flowed me back home
From its cupped palm
During the season of rain,
The raindrops,
Fell into the water in the well,
Weaving a net
Along my body.
I watched the rain
Falling into the well
Then I saw the fish,
Standing still
Lifting its face,
Over the water.
I could not remember
Its name
Like a lightning,
From its inner silence,
It moved its fin
Again, it grew still,
Raised its face
Over the water
Looking at me.
- Fish and I - November 23, 2022
