Two poems by Arun Budhathoki

Dear Fat

Dear Fat

You’re damn famous

And the whole town knows about it,

You’re in every malls, cafes, libraries and university buildings—

You’re not in every organic shops, Saturday markets, organic section in Sobeys 

& Supermarket, 

and definitely not inside my refrigerator (I am bluffing)

I can’t imagine being close to you,

You are even within me, within this body;

I wonder what’s going on with you these days,

Dear Fat

Why are you so concerned about few people only?

Why do you live within the skin and bones of few while there are plenty?

You love flesh, don’t you?

You like to chew it slowly

And take away the glory on your own,

Not me.

I keep chewing you

And the fat in me kills you.

Lonely

The street is lonely

The wind doesn’t stop yelling

The trees shiver in cold

While people live within their insulated homes

Lonely, lonely, lonely

The sky is absolute grey

The surroundings severely pale

St. John River mute like a shattered lover

While people live within their insulated homes

Lonely, lonely, lonely

Downtown is empty

King’s Place wears dejected look

Traffic lights blink in pain

One by one

While people live within their insulated homes

Lonely, lonely, lonely

This house is so peaceful

I don’t feel any cold

The winds keep swooshing outside

While I live within this insulated home

Lonely, lonely, lonely

Arun Budhathoki, also known as Daniel Song, is a prominent voice in the area of young Nepalese Poetry in English. He has published five books so far: Edge, The Lost Boys of Kathmandu, Poems on Sikkim, Prisoner of an iPad: New Poems and Second In Love.  

His works have been published in MadSwirl, North East Review, Driftwood Bay, NNATAN and Dead Beats. Second In Love is his first collection of short stories. Arun is currently pursuing MPhil in Policy Studies at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada.

His official page: https://www.facebook.com/arunbudhathokiauthor