Busy Fencing Day Poem by Rahman Henry

I entered a busy fencing day

All are pouring their labors and intellects
in making them.
Some are building
Some are mending the old ones-
making them stronger.

‘The skill of fencing
has brought civilization this far’—they said.

‘And this very job of fencing
one day will conceal
our life and death’-I could say.
But I didn’t.

I said nothing at all.




* Translated into English (from original Bengali) by Razia Sultana