Two poems of Dristi Dija

A Feral Vixen, Veiled as A Meek Lamb

Inside, a feral vixen wrestles,
Like an unborn child in the womb.
As if, with just a sliver of power granted,
She’ll emerge, untamed and unyielding.

How many masks of humility I wear
To conceal the hatred brewing within!
A hatred so vast,
I yearn to amass knowledge enough
To burn ignorance to ashes
With the fire they call the power of wisdom.

So many flaws,
Masked by my own imperfections,
Watching hypocrisy gnaw at the world
Until my eyes ache behind their sockets.

One day, all the hells I endured—
Buried deep, festering within—
Will erupt like molten lava,
Creeping, consuming, unstoppable.

Vile, yet somehow in service of this wretched society.

[Translated by the poet]

The Beautiful Absence

I am stuck in the house’s own foul-smelling corner,
Like a stubborn lump in the intestine.
It feels as though, if I leave this house,
The lifeless building will regain its pulse.
Once again, the bullfights will begin.
The silent, massive walls will crumble.
Everyone will chew their food noisily.
Men will stare at women’s small and large breasts,
Their uncovered waists.
Women will raise their chests higher,
Flirting with uncles, fathers-in-law, and relatives.

It feels like, once I leave, the mirage will fade,
And the As-Sahara will bloom with life.
It feels like, once I leave,
You will start writing poetry again.

[Translated by the poet]

Poet Dristi Dija is also a short story writer and artist. Her debut poetry book ‘Bolte Lojja Nei’ was published in Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2025.
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