Poems by Anisha Ghosh

Tu Me Manques

When I miss you in English
You are missing from me in French,
Like the last syllable of the free verse
That always eludes subconscious rhyming.

When I miss you in English, 
You are missing from me in French, 
And in every love language I speak,
I cannot fill the void but celebrate it!

When I miss you in English, 
You are missing from me in French, 
And I speak the absence fluently, 

Missing without being missed…

Note: ‘I miss you’ in French is tu me manques, which literally translates to ‘you are missing from me.’

Shadows

If shadows could speak, 
You wouldn’t leave them behind
while walking towards what you believe is light. 
If shadows could speak, 
You wouldn’t chase them aimlessly
When you were chased from behind by light. 
If shadows could speak, 
They could be your best shot at love, 
Like a soul mate born with you who never left. 
If shadows could speak, 
They could shoot you point blank
For they walk every step before or after you.
If shadows could speak, 
They would etch your biography 
In the hieroglyphics of day and night.

The Small Towner

I’m a creature of the small town, 
You’ll meet me at the roadside, 
sipping a cup of tea on a busy Monday morning, 
I’m a creature of the small town, 
You’ll see me on the porch every afternoon,
drying my hair and the linens of last night, 

I’m a creature of the small town, 
Neon lights and loud music do not amaze me
I’m all ears for the frail whispers,
the evening serenade and vespertine prayers. 
I’m a creature of the small town 
I don’t rat race to chase my dreams, 
I pull up the shroud and go back to sleep
And catch up where I left the half-lived dream the other night… 

I’m a creature of the small town, 
Of ponds, jungles, and the mountainside, 
My stories melt away into folklore and country songs, 
My troubles have no real face,
my tragedies and triumphs are equally unheroic, 
I have learned to mask my worries
And bury my woes
In the still, sad music that humanity hears no more.