Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Kamal Vora

No. 20 Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper

No. 20 
 
Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper 
an old man has been standing  
alone for a while. 
 
Another old man 
comes and stands silently  
behind him.  
 
The old man turns around 
and sees the other 
that looks exactly like him. 
 
They smile vaguely 
at each other. 
 
Now, a third old man appears 
and stands behind them 
and one ahead of them. 
A queue of old men begins to take shape. 
 
Like a sentence being written on paper -- 
just when it appears to come to an end, 
someone joins the queue. 
 
The old man  
is lost among the old men. 
 
The old men stand  
like an old man,  
utterly alone.

No. 20 Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper

૨૦
 
એક વૃદ્ધ
ક્યારનો એકલો અટૂલો ઊભો છે
કોરા કાગળમાં એક ટપકું હોય એમ
બીજો એક વૃદ્ધ
એની પાછળ આવી
ચૂપચાપ ઊભો રહી જાય છે
વૃદ્ધ પાછળ ફરી જુએ છે તો
રંગરૂપઆકારે એ અદ્દલ એના જેવો
એ જ
બન્ને સામસામે ઝાંખું હસી પડે છે
ત્યાં ત્રીજો એક વૃદ્ધ પાછળ આવી
ઊભો રહી જાય છે
એક આગળ પણ
અને એમ વૃદ્ધોની કતાર થતી જાય છે
કાગળ પર લખાતું હોય કોઈ વાક્ય એમ
લાગે કે કતાર પૂરી થવામાં છે
ત્યાં તો કોઈક આવી ચડે
વૃદ્ધ
ખોવાઈ ગયો છે અનેક વૃદ્ધોમાં
વૃદ્ધો
ઊભા છે
એકલો અટૂલો એક વૃદ્ધ થઈને

Close

No. 20 Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper

No. 20 
 
Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper 
an old man has been standing  
alone for a while. 
 
Another old man 
comes and stands silently  
behind him.  
 
The old man turns around 
and sees the other 
that looks exactly like him. 
 
They smile vaguely 
at each other. 
 
Now, a third old man appears 
and stands behind them 
and one ahead of them. 
A queue of old men begins to take shape. 
 
Like a sentence being written on paper -- 
just when it appears to come to an end, 
someone joins the queue. 
 
The old man  
is lost among the old men. 
 
The old men stand  
like an old man,  
utterly alone.

No. 20 Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper

No. 20 
 
Like a dot on a blank sheet of paper 
an old man has been standing  
alone for a while. 
 
Another old man 
comes and stands silently  
behind him.  
 
The old man turns around 
and sees the other 
that looks exactly like him. 
 
They smile vaguely 
at each other. 
 
Now, a third old man appears 
and stands behind them 
and one ahead of them. 
A queue of old men begins to take shape. 
 
Like a sentence being written on paper -- 
just when it appears to come to an end, 
someone joins the queue. 
 
The old man  
is lost among the old men. 
 
The old men stand  
like an old man,  
utterly alone.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère