Discover hope amidst grief in this vivid, emotional poem by Raja. Happiness shines through, transforming darkness into radiant light, exclusively for Different Truths.

He looked up
And saw the underbelly of grief
Not a pretty sight
It looked like a dead fish
Pecked at and partly eaten by other fishes
It reminded him of blotched skin
Kind of a plastered, sad green
That has not seen the light in days
He was not pleased 
And knew something needed to be done
Else, the rot will set in
Eat into his mind and leave a hole
He decided to find some happiness 
Gave it a good thought
Tried to remember all that he has read
His brain racked strategies 
Putting aside the tangled mass of cobwebs
And years of shadows 
He tried getting up and going
Something tugged him back
He turned around to see
That it was happiness
All this while he was sitting on it
He gave a good laugh and looked up
The ceiling had turned a golden yellow 
Ready to shine

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Raja Chakraborty

Raja Chakraborty, born in Kolkata, is a bilingual poet, a gifted artist and bureaucrat, crafting seven English and nine Bengali poetry collections. His works grace magazines, anthologies, and e-zines. In the West Bengal Excise Department, he combats drug abuse and oversees liquor shop licensing under the Bengal Excise Act 2012, curbing illegal trade. Balancing literary passion with public service, Chakraborty’s contributions enrich West Bengal’s cultural and administrative spheres, showcasing his dedication to poetry and societal welfare.

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