Mopuru’s poem highlights the power and persistence of the written word, using metaphors to illustrate its resilience and ability to overcome attempts to silence it, exclusively for Different Truths.

It is foolish to think that alphabet can be killed.
It’s an illusion to think, that alphabet should be killed.
Can you dig sufficient graveyard to hide the alphabet?
Can you bring enough fire to burn it?
If you Hyde the alphabet in the graveyard,
An explosion of alphabet will be existed.
If the alphabet is burnt, bigger blasts will happen.
Journalist is an incarnation of soulful alphabet.
It is foolish to think that alphabet can be killed.
It’s an illusion to think that alphabet should be killed.
An alphabet is a Soulful River.

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.