GHOST CITY GHOST TOWN

Translation of Deepachelvan’s poem in Thamizh titled
‘PAEI NAGARAM PAEI OOR’ [பேய் நகரம் பேய் ஊர்]
Translated into English by Latha Ramakrishnan

Ghosts destroy the City and the Town
Sitting atop the broken houses
they eat the walls turned debris
They keep going inside the holes made of bullets and
surface.
In the house deprived of the smoke of cooking
the odour of ghost becomes all pervading.
With the tales written with charcoal-pieces by the Ghosts
Our city and town remain shell-shocked.
No children
No bicycles
No bullock-carts.
Blocking the way to all
the Ghosts reign supreme.
Converting all places into Ghost City and Ghost Town
climbing atop the destroyed buildings
with the delirious dances that the Ghosts dance
our Land remains shaken to the core.

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