Fish

Fish

No water
only sky
fills this fish's brain.
 
No water
but a longing to fly
is in this fish's body.
 
Into the brimming ocean
she is emptying herself
incessantly, over centuries.
 
She passes by
small fish, big fish.
Lost in thought, this fish
asks herself oh,
where did your ocean
go?
 
The swimming fish
repeats this question
as if it were a prayer-mantra.
The fish does not know
that sky has filled her brain
 
that the skull-smashing ritual
has already begun
inside her.
 
This fish's brain
Is filled not with water
But with sky
 
Not water
But a longing to fly
Fills
This fish's body
 
In the full ocean she
Is making herself empty
Continuously, century upon century
 
Passing by
big and small fish,
this fish sunk in thought
asks herself,
Where did your ocean
go?
 
Swimming the fish
repeats this question
like a prayer-mantra
The fish doesn't know
that the sky has filled
her brain
 
That her skull has already begun
to crack open
from the inside
 
 
 

Original Poem by

Gagan Gill

Translated by

Lucy Rosenstein with Jane Duran Language

Hindi

Country

India