Three Poems by Sutputra Radheye

By Sutputra Radheye

Safoora

The prison doors will open
for you to walk out
with your child

like it happened that night
when basudev carried
krishna on his head

Only this time
you are krishna yourself

***

What is art? 

Can it be called art
if it looks at people
differently

more often than not
it feeds on stereotypes
and typecasts characters

in between lines and colours
it promotes differences
and alienates men
who live in the same world
as us

it builds borders
of prejudice
and shackles of
superiority and inferiority
in art

So before calling anything art
don’t we need to think over it
again?

Because not everything
one creates is art

***

Who is a slut?

maybe someone
with a body like hills
or maybe a voice
that reminds of saxophone.
You also call her a slut
if she has slept with you
and even when she hasn’t.
it can also be someone
who when you talk to her
feels like an open gate

that someone can even be
someone who was bullied
and molested by your kind
or someone who doesn’t live
by your patriarchal standards
of dignity.

so, whosoever you are
you don’t know anything
and your hypothesis is premature.

Bio:
Sutputra Radheye is a poet and commentator who delves into issues affecting the socio-eco-political scenario. His works have been published in prestigious platforms like Frontier, Countercurrents, Janata Weekly, Culture Matters (UK), among others.

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