Mopuru’s poem evokes nostalgia for the forgotten art of letter writing, comparing it to a horse ride, swing, and blessing, exclusively for Different Truths.

The alphabet had a horse ride in the past.
Pigeons carried the very same alphabet in the very same past.
The alphabet had a lovely swing in
The form of written letters of palanquin.
Writing a letter is like being a devoted child, touching
The mother’s feet for blessings.
A loving mother blesses her child.
A lover is trying to get love in return.
Writing a letter is pouring
Memorable experiences from one heart to another.
Reading old letters is standing near the seashore of time
And catching the seashells of memories.
Let’s forget the present web messaging methods
Let’s paste a few letters for the bird of invisible tail,
Let’s hoist the flags of friendship in
The hearts of our friends in faraway places.

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.