TRANSLATED FROM THE MALAYALAM BY AMMU ASHOK

It’s been fifteen years
Since I left my home
wearing jasmine garland
on my hair.

Covertly,
I registered my home
in my brother’s custodian
Since then, once or twice a year
visits with a disgruntled face in hurry.

I stash
the big duffel bag
of clothes and bath towel
at the bottom
of the stairs.
At night after a shower
when its start serving dinner
to my noisy kids in hurry
lights go off
as always.

The foul stinking little bug
I’ve never seen before
landed right onto
my back neck
then.

Also, read The Hyena  by Soham Das, translated from the Bengali by Amitava Sen, and published in The Antonym:

The Hyena — Soham Das

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