Mopuru’s patriotic poem is about the fearless sentinels, their eyes blazing with patriotism, igniting the nation’s spirit, exclusively for Different Truths.

The goddess of sleep is scared to reach their eyelids.
The cold mountains would shiver to comprehend their willpower.
If their footsteps are heard, the enemies will feel the fire in their hearts.
Their eyes, like thorny fences, constantly guard the borderlines.
Their breath turned into a tuneful flute, singing patriotic songs.
Though they are defeated at the hands of their enemies sometimes,
Though they are physically away from this world,
They shine, like the moon with fame soon after sunset.
They are not the soldiers, but the selfless lamps,
That gets burned in a sacred fire.
They are the flying flags of the nation.

Translated from Telugu by Jyothsnaphanija

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Mopuru Penchula Narasimham

Mopuru Penchula Narasimham is a Telugu poet, short story writer, and novelist from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is a poet of courage and clarity. He never took his visual impairment as an onset to his literary career. He hosts several literary events and is honoured with many literary awards, such as Kavita Praveena, the Ranjani Kundhurthi Poetry Prize, the Vishalakshi Poetry Prize, the North American Telugu Association’s poetry prize, and others.