A Birthday Greeting to Myself

A Birthday Greeting to Myself
by Suman Pokhrel

Every moment age is creeping up stealthily
but life, life is melting down
like a candle that is flickering around.

It incinerates, yet tries to smile
and keeps broiling, pretending to be alive
it flickers around restlessly
like a blaze of lightning flame
life is withering away, like a candle
that is melting down.

Life freezes and stiffens, if abandoned
it melts and spills, if kept burning
instead, every moment
death is shaping up slowly and quietly.
but life, life is melting down
like a candle flickering all night.
...................................


(Original work written in March 1997 as हरघडी उमेर मात्र अग्लिरहेछ [Har Ghadi Umer Matra Aglirahechha], in Nepali. Published in हजार आँखा यी आँखामा Hazaar Aankhaa Yee Aankhaama , 2003, p. 59. Biratnagar: Vani Publications.)
Translated into English by the poet himself.