A Dream Soaked in Blood
This is prison
The voice muffled
Movements confined
But the hand scribbles
Torment of the heart doesn’t cease
Dreams in lonely darkness float toward
Lighted shores
Leisure…
Sinister as high walls
And solid gates
Of the Nizam era
Leisure that breeds lethargy
And prison…
That stops my tongue
The light of the moon is barred
But who can bar the brilliance of the sun?
The innocents here suffer silently
For crimes
Committed under the exploiting system
Famished and miserable
Policemen, prisoners in uniform
Compelled to guard jails
To protect ruling classes
Prison walls tremble
Rusted bars fall
The ants on a long march
Devour the slough of the snake
Outside
Worker’s hammer blow echoes
In face of the hard truth
The mercenary bends in shame
Bodies in uniform
Souls crave freedom
Let strong winds blow
And set ablaze
Concealed sparks
Let the sleeping sun of red revolution rise
If men turn from crime for self
To that for society
If these guns are loaded with the cause of working class
Before my eyes
The road to armed revolution
Will lead us to our destiny
In the shadow of my eyes
A dream
Soaked in the blood of my heart
***
October 1973
Translated by CV Subba Rao