Sushant Supriye’s most recent poem to appear here was “Kalyug” (August 2018). 

What Sort of Time Is This
By Sushant Supriye

What sort of time is this
when someone is sowing the field
whereas the crop is claimed by
someone else,
when someone is carrying the
heavy load of bricks
whereas someone else is
claiming the building,
when someone is doing
all the hard work
whereas someone else is
reaping all the benefits.

What sort of time is this
when wolves and hyenas have grabbed
all the torches and lamps
whereas we are standing unarmed
in pitch darkness.

What sort of time is this
when there is darkness at noon,
when a gnawing din is
eating into our innards,
when pygmies are casting long shadows
from Ayodhya to Bamiyan,
from Syria to Afghanistan.