Poetry 2017 Longlist, Sounak Sinha Biswas,

Growing Up

I remember the days when we were young,
To nursery rhymes we had danced and sung.
We questioned the world’s behavior a lot
Why things looked like what they were not.

Now we’ve grown up and seen the world,
Waiting patiently as its secrets unfurled.
Now we know why it’s like this,
Now we know why there’s no bliss.

But simply knowing is useless,
It’s not the key to happiness.
Now we’re part of the world as well,
Whether it’s good or evil, heaven or hell.

The seasons change seamlessly,
And we wait for that dawn to arrive
When the world would be a ‘better place’
For which we would not have to strive.

The Earth endlessly grows in size,
And we put up more barbed wires,
Building walls instead of bridges,
Pretending to be deaf on hearing gun fires.

So, why is the world like this?
Look anywhere, there is no bliss.
Haven’t we found the answer yet?
It’s in front of you yet impossible to get.