Apollo Constantine
A Shop that Sells Peace
In my neighborhood
is a shop
with loudspeakers
next to my house
He takes a hundred rupees per month that I give him
to not turn on the loudspeakers
Early morning at the break of dawn
He knows that I am
one of the unfortunate ones
who cannot live
without peace!
He knows that for the future generations
there will be more need for peace
than clean water and clean air
He knows that
times for fighting are over
and to bring the bread home
he must be a seller of peace
I am indebted to him
in a country like India
where inflation rates have flown sky high
for only a hundred rupees per month for two hours of peace per day
it sure is a bargain!
—Translated from Hindi by Apollo Constantine
A Shop that Sells Peace
In my neighborhood
is a shop
with loudspeakers
that abuts my house
He takes a hundred rupees from me per month
to not turn on the loudspeakers
Early each morning before the light of dawn
He knows that I am
one of the unfortunate ones
who cannot live
without peace!
He knows that for the future generations
the need for peace will supersede
the need for clean water and clean air
He knows that
times of revolt are over
and to fulfill his daily needs
he must undertake the selling of peace
I am indebted to him
in a country like India
where inflation rates have grown immensely
for only a hundred rupees per month for two hours of peace per day
is not too expensive
—Translated from Hindi by Apollo Constantine
My family speaks so many different languages
(An erasure poem of my interview with Ruchika Madan)
Hindi
Punjabi
are passed down from my extended family
the state of Punjab
Punjabi
our ethnic language.
Nani also learned English
Because India was a colony of the British
home language with their families
mixture of people use the common language
kids, who don't speak Hindi
with the family
I hear a lot of languages mixed together:
Punjabi
Hindi
German
English
English
German
Hindi
Punjabi
when Nani and Nana talk
I can’t really distinguish:
Hindi
Punjabi
but I hear English words mixed in.
Translator’s Statement