Poems By Nabina Das

 

from rivers and towns: fireflies and fish conversations

those fireflies and rivers

wanted to get to the roads

over the banks of refugee shacks

over tumbling tempo hoods

over our embarrassed long and rounded vowels

just to smell the tar of dawki roads

 

and walk walk walk those monsoon-muddied paths

that brought us at the teetering end to ask:

 

will the fish wake up and recognise us?

***

 

the valley people spoke of a beautiful fish-woman

who came up to the river shore on full moon nights to taste salt

of the sands, of the tongues of pahar line cooing through tunnels

where trains ran headlong with  faces hidden

 

they spoke of a black horse on dawn’s back

a horse that munched on rising sunrays

the pasture of light

and showed them the way beyond where the magur had swum away

 

did you say the woman was a mermaid?

 

in fact, she was all fish

a woman who could swim through doors like some of us

***

 

once through the milling crowd we had burrowed in

small change in tiny hand and counting trees of legs

we were small

we wouldn’t answer strangers and princes and clowns

even though the fair with its Ferris Wheels had encircled us

and the crowd became the rising sea

surging in us the fear of the known

hearing hey mister acharjee babu and oh missus prerona debi

 

no we aren’t running away from home

once through with the milling crowd we stopped

at this lane by the strange

house that was lonely

we got home with the fair in our head

circling like afternoon pigeons while

someone screamed from afar

 

— come see the little girl cut in halves

come, come see her live and speak!

***

my uncle stuffed fireflies in his pocket

to go to the barak’s banks

fireflies as baits for the fish he secretly listened to

he wooed the fish and told them stories

 

i’m told on gibbous nights they too

came up to tell him tales

truths and half lies

of bodies pushed under

of sad brides sleeping under waves

of fingers and rings carved on bed-mud

of money stash swaying like algae

of keys to homes that stood on one legs before falling asunder

of map etchings thrown to the fish’s mouths

of words turned into sludge

of gods who wouldn’t be worshipped in households

 

the fishing rods stretched their length

drooped in one corner of my uncle’s house

they carried the load of those stories

until fireflies returned to listen to them

glittering in dark corners like children’s eyes

 

i’ve seen them hum together

before the railway line outside went home

and conversations were served in coffee cups



Nabina Das, a 2012 Charles Wallace Fellow, University of Stirling, UK, and a 2012 Sangam House Fiction Fellow, has a poetry collection Into the Migrant City (Writers Workshop, Kolkata; cited one of the best readings of 2015) and a short fiction collection The House of Twining Roses: Stories of the Mapped and the Unmapped (LiFi Publications, Delhi). Published widely nationally and internationally, her debut poetry collection Blue Vessel(Les Editions du Zaporogue, Denmark) was listed as one of best of 2012 and her first novel Footprints in the Bajra (Cedar Books, Delhi) was longlisted for the Vodafone-Crossword awards 2011. A 2011 Rutgers University MFA, a 2007 Joan Jakobson (Wesleyan University) and a Julio Lobo fiction scholar (Lesley University), and a journalist and mediaperson for about 10 years, Nabina teaches Creative Writing in classrooms and workshops.

52 Comments

  • Reply February 9, 2026

    fdertol mrtokev

    Thank you for every other fantastic article. Where else could anybody get that type of information in such a perfect manner of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.

  • Reply February 16, 2026

    slot mahjong

    Pretty component of content. I simply stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to say that I get actually enjoyed account your weblog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds and even I fulfillment you get admission to consistently rapidly.

  • Reply February 16, 2026

    empire88

    I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. appreciate it

  • Reply February 17, 2026

    jackwin77

    I really like your writing style, fantastic information, regards for putting up :D. “He wrapped himself in quotations- as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors.” by Rudyard Kipling.

  • Reply February 17, 2026

    depo 5k

    Whats Taking place i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & aid different users like its helped me. Great job.

  • Reply February 17, 2026

    mantap 555

    I have not checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend :)

  • Reply February 19, 2026

    gelatin trick

    Great blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

  • Reply February 20, 2026

    situs slot 1000

    Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.

  • Usually I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do so! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice article.

  • Reply February 23, 2026

    lavanderia econômica

    Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say excellent blog!

  • Hello. splendid job. I did not expect this. This is a excellent story. Thanks!

  • Reply February 23, 2026

    pcxwin

    Good site! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

  • Reply February 24, 2026

    iblbet

    Hello my friend! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and include approximately all significant infos. I’d like to see more posts like this.

  • Hello.This article was really remarkable, particularly because I was investigating for thoughts on this issue last couple of days.

  • Reply February 24, 2026

    gelatin trick

    It’s actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

  • Reply February 25, 2026

    aufstellbecken set

    whoah this weblog is excellent i really like studying your posts. Keep up the great paintings! You know, lots of people are hunting around for this information, you could aid them greatly.

  • I like this blog very much so much good information.

  • Reply February 26, 2026

    toto

    My wife and i were quite joyful Michael managed to finish off his inquiry through the entire precious recommendations he came across out of the site. It is now and again perplexing to simply find yourself offering things the rest might have been selling. And we recognize we have the website owner to be grateful to because of that. All of the explanations you have made, the simple website navigation, the relationships you will aid to foster – it’s many exceptional, and it is aiding our son in addition to our family recognize that this matter is fun, and that is truly serious. Thanks for the whole thing!

  • Reply February 26, 2026

    canon telefono

    Would love to always get updated great site! .

  • Reply February 26, 2026

    hargatoto

    It’s in point of fact a nice and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

  • Reply February 26, 2026

    ayuda TFG arquitectura

    As a Newbie, I am always browsing online for articles that can be of assistance to me. Thank you

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    ayuda TFG arquitectura

    I have read a few good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much effort you place to create this sort of excellent informative website.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    poolabdeckung

    Appreciate it for helping out, wonderful information. “Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening.” by Gertrude Stein.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    ayuda TFM arquitectura

    Hey very cool web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find numerous useful info here in the post, we need develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    banca multifuncional

    I like what you guys are up also. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my website :)

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    Real estate José Ignacio

    Fantastic items from you, man. I’ve take into account your stuff prior to and you’re simply extremely excellent. I actually like what you have received right here, really like what you are stating and the way during which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you continue to take care of to stay it sensible. I can’t wait to learn much more from you. That is really a tremendous site.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    boostaro

    You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    situs slot

    I love your writing style genuinely enjoying this site.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    ghdrol funciona

    Aw, this was a very nice post. In concept I wish to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and certainly not seem to get one thing done.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    situs slot

    Hiya very cool web site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds alsoKI’m glad to seek out a lot of helpful info right here within the post, we want develop extra techniques on this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    ghdrol funciona

    Great post and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is truly the best place to ask but do you guys have any thoughts on where to get some professional writers? Thanks in advance :)

  • Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for! “I myself do nothing. The Holy Spirit accomplishes all through me.” by William Blake.

  • Reply February 27, 2026

    gelatin trick recipe

    The very root of your writing whilst appearing agreeable initially, did not really work very well with me after some time. Someplace within the paragraphs you actually managed to make me a believer but just for a while. I nevertheless have a problem with your jumps in assumptions and one would do nicely to fill in those gaps. In the event that you can accomplish that, I would undoubtedly be amazed.

  • Reply February 28, 2026

    fren 88

    Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply couldn’t come across. What an ideal website.

  • Reply February 28, 2026

    tonic greens

    This website is my intake, real superb layout and perfect articles.

  • Reply February 28, 2026

    soulmate sketch

    I adore examining and I believe this website got some really useful stuff on it! .

  • Reply February 28, 2026

    burnslim

    hi!,I really like your writing very so much! percentage we communicate more approximately your article on AOL? I require a specialist in this space to resolve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking ahead to peer you.

  • Reply February 28, 2026

    jasa basmi rayap bandung

    Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.

  • Reply March 1, 2026

    streamate tv

    Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, excellent blog!

  • Reply March 1, 2026

    streamate blonde

    Wohh just what I was searching for, regards for posting.

  • This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen

  • I am glad to be one of the visitors on this great web site (:, thankyou for putting up.

  • Reply March 3, 2026

    pink gelatin trick

    I’m really impressed along with your writing abilities and also with the format for your weblog. Is that this a paid theme or did you modify it your self? Either way stay up the nice high quality writing, it is uncommon to see a nice weblog like this one nowadays..

  • I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already ;) Cheers!

  • Reply March 4, 2026

    eva bloom

    Of course, what a great site and revealing posts, I surely will bookmark your website.All the Best!

  • Reply March 4, 2026

    soulmate sketch

    An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

  • Absolutely written content material, thanks for selective information.

  • Reply March 4, 2026

    citrus burn review

    I really appreciate your work, Great post.

  • Reply March 5, 2026

    audifort reviews

    I’ll immediately grab your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please let me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.

  • Hey, you used to write fantastic, but the last few posts have been kinda boringK I miss your super writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!

  • Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is fantastic, as well as the content!

  • Reply March 6, 2026

    car rental malaysia

    This is very interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!

Leave a Reply