De MAD

One of Kerala’s leading writers, K. Satchidanandan is regarded as one of the pioneers of the New Poetry in Malayalam.Here is an English Transalation of his poem DE MAD (PRANTHAN)

The mad have no caste
Nor religion. They
transcend gender,
live outside ideologies. We
do not deserve their innocence.

Their language is not of dreams but
of another reality. Their love
is moonlight. It
overflows on full moon day.

Looking up they see
gods we have never heard of. They are
shaking their wings when
we fancy they are shrugging their shoulders. They hold
even flies have souls
and the green god of grasshoppers
leaps up on both legs.

At times they see trees bleed,
hear lions roar from the streets.
At times they watch Heaven
gleaming in a kitten’s eyes,
just as we do. But they alone
can hear ants sing in a chorus.

While patting the air
they are taming a cyclone
over the Mediterranean. And with
their heavy tread they stop
a volcano from erupting.
They have another measure
of Time. Our century is
their second. Twenty seconds,
and they reach Christ; six more, they
are with the Buddha.

In a single day they reach
the big bang at the beginning.

They go on walking restless for
their earth is boiling still.

The mad are not
mad like us.