Raja explores a turbulent river at night on DifferentTruths.com, where a lone ship carries dreams through the dark, seeking tomorrow’s light.

A dark deluge descending
Engulfed the last remnants of gold
Married to blue
Timid lights talking about tomorrow
Soft slush of waves responded
Desperate lovers 
Hoping for a new beginning
Amidst a blind horizon
 
A lone ship swayed in the wind
Riding sudden heights
Plunging to unknown depths
Carrying dreams of the unborn
 
The wind picked up speed
Scurrying across the raging river
Its diagonal path
Reminiscent of the hidden turns
That cut through back alleys
To reach the home fire faster
 
Standing on the foredeck
A lonely figure
Scanned the black of the night
Eyes taut and focussed
A hunter mapping its prey
The river growled in hunger
Its belly-churning memories and
Fortune alike
 
Time waited patiently
Appointed hours in place
Waiting to see who wins in the end
 A nonchalant, sky-silent witness
To the chase, under
Cat-and-mouse games fate plays
The ship rolled on
Through a night on the river,
Towards the light of tomorrow

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.