Poems by Arun Kale

I am not in touch with the latest Marathi literature releases, more so in poetry section. However I had an opportunity recently to read two collections by Late Arun Kale - Rock Garden and Nantar Alele Lok ( Intruders ). A striking characterstic of his books is each one has a profound theme or set of themes which connects all the poems in a collection. To understand every poem, one has to read the complete book.

His poems have emphasise on Dalit Movement, Gloabalisation and Consumerism, Information explosion and Effects of colonialisation.

This is my lame attempt of translating two of the poems from Nantar Alele Lok-

Like a littered plastic bottle.

Like a bottle of Bisleri
With a blue cap
He wore a blue cap
and a party badge
The ISI mark,on his chest
Stubborn sibling's company
in the long journey
Water bottle is used
and littered, lable is ripped of
Thus he was treated
by overambitious folks

Then he survived
With the help of his blue cap
Without the badge
He remained unnoticed

Finally he was found unconscious ,
on the road to Chaityabhumi
like a littered plastic bottle.


--------------------------------------

When relations end

Dropping prices of computers don't ensure
a rising per capita income

This knowledge-Science-Technology will give birth to
Picasso, Hussain, Bradman, Gavaskar
Pele, Owens, Michael or Rafi
Consolidated or separately

This knowledge-Science-Technology will give birth to
Ideal slaves, Esop, Spartacus or Sindbad

This knowledge-Science-Technology will give birth to
Alexander, Hitler and an infantry

This knowledge-Science-Technology are bulldozing
motherhood, unmatched happiness of creation

These multitalented ideal lifesize statues or dummies
Will be sent to scrapyard any moment.

When relationships are obsolete
Even humans as sent to a scrapyard