Swapna Behera



A Leaf That
Flutters In The Air

when spring rolls
the leaf flutters in the jungle
spring  a scavenger
fragrances of the green waves
ants carrying the bits
birds extend the wings
the colours  grill in sun dip

the grass hopper  transporting
fire of the spring
skeletons of a leaf
a gusty wind blows and cries
does  the jungle carry the leaf
or  the leaf coronates  the jungle
the leaf falls on the river bed
sand islets on the river
nano  dust particles
fall on the ground
forests will paint
tubers ,snails ,lichens
Sparrows ready to celebrate
the pigeons coo on the ledges
A leaf can carry fire .....
for it knows
to die for others is a celebration ...



                                    




I Haven’t Seen The Nature
For A Pretty Long Time

I haven’t seen the raindrops
for a pretty long time
sitting in the multi-storeyed apartment
listening the customised water drops
of the air conditioner
in this city
where computer links to the forest ,
plastic parrots ,artificial paintings
drizzling showers  
falls of landscaping
lunch decided by mobile apps
where are the metaphors ,similes
                                                                     
and
myths of the nature      
                                           
a nostalgia in my memory
an illusion of swings in the Banyan tree
fragrances of the Mahua plant
The berries, amla ,the  Kash flower

Nature,  the Heaven’s cradle
eternal dawn ,
the light and shadow
the frozen paw of the air roots
an Eternal Love Guru

I haven’t seen nature
 for a pretty long time
the tinkling coins evaporate my seconds
hooting of the owl
somewhere near by
may be
I am somewhere near the nature
may be
I am sleeping on the wooden pyre ......

   






They Say ....

they say
  water flows       
but fishes ooze carbons of chimneys

they say
sky glows
but the ether echoes the nuclear bombs

they say
wind blows
but the smokes smell the blood of black lungs

they say
the soil grows
but the polythene blocks water to feed the seed

they say
the fire burns
but ashes of the corpse still float in Bagamati river  .....



Swapna Behera

Swapna  Behera is a bilingual contemporary poet, author, translator and editor from Odisha, India .She is a former  a teacher from 1984 to 1995 in Mont FortSchool and in Kendriya Vidyalayas from 1995 to 2015 . Her stories, poems and articles are widely published in National and International journals, and ezines, and are translated into different national and International languages. She has penned five books. She is the recipient of the Prestigious UGADI AWARD 2019. She was conferred upon the International Poesis Award of Honor at the 2nd Bharat Award for Literature as Jury in 2015, The Enchanting Muse Award in India World Poetree Festival 2017, World Icon of Peace Award in 2017, and the Pentasi B World Fellow Poet in 2017.. She is the  recipient of Gold Cross Of Wisdom Award ,the medal  for The Best Teachers of the World from World Union of Poets in 2018,and The LIfe time Achievement Award ,The Best Planner Award ,The Sahitya Shiromani Award,ATAL BIHARI BAJPAYEEAWARD2018,AmbassadorDeLiterature Award2018 ,Global Literature Guardian Award .She is the Ambassador of Humanity by Hafrikan Prince Art World Africa 2018 and an official member of World Nation’s Writers Union ,Kazakhstan2018. At present she is the President (Governor of International Relations)of the Superior Council of World Union of Poets, Italy ,the National President for India by Hispanomundial Union of Writers (UHE),Peru ,the administrator of several poetic groups , and the Cultural Ambassador for  India and south Asia of Inner Child Press U.S.