The Empty Pitcher Lying Over Dry Ground : by Keshab Mahanta

You’ve allowed your laughter to die away
Now it’s empty
Now it’s only the sound of an empty pitcher
Only the cry
For a pitcherful of laughter, awaited and
Full to the brim

It’s so
Because it must be so
It’s so whenever laughter dies away
Why, you’ve startled
At the growing of the pitcher
Lying over dry ground:
Listen, be all ears-if you can
It’s the wind humming
The new winds humming over there.

Keshab Mahanta has contributed immensely to Assamese Literature and Poetry.The Axom Xahitya Xabha conferred him with the Raghunath Choudhary Award for his collection of verses titled Tomar Tez. The Sahitya Akademi award came in recognition of his lyrics in 1993 for the collection Mor Je Kiman Hepah.