Asef Aktab

“quiet clean girls in gingham dresses ...

all I've ever known are whores, ex-prostitutes,
madwomen. I see men with quiet,
gentle women – I see them in the supermarkets,
I see them walking down the streets together,
I see them in their apartments: people at
peace, living together. I know that their
peace is only partial, but there is
peace, often hours and days of peace.

all I've ever known are pill freaks, alcoholics,
whores, ex-prostitutes, madwomen.

when one leaves
another arrives
worse than her predecessor.

I see so many men with quiet clean girls in
gingham dresses
girls with faces that are not wolverine or
predatory.

"don't ever bring a whore around," I tell my
few friends, "I'll fall in love with her."

"you couldn't stand a good woman, Bukowski."

I need a good woman. I need a good woman
more than I need this typewriter, more than
I need my automobile, more than I need
Mozart; I need a good woman so badly that I
can taste her in the air, I can feel her
at my fingertips, I can see sidewalks built
for her feet to walk upon,
I can see pillows for her head,
I can feel my waiting laughter,
I can see her petting a cat,
I can see her sleeping,
I can see her slippers on the floor.

I know that she exists
but where is she upon this earth
as the whores keep finding me?”
― Charles Bukowski, Love is a dog from Hell

“On the train we swapped seats, you wanted the window and I wanted to look at you.”
― Mahmoud Darwish

“মেয়ে জাতটাই হচ্ছে মায়াবতীর জাত। কখন যে এই মেয়েটি মায়ায় জড়িয়ে ফেলেছে, নিজেই বুঝতে পারেননি”
― Humayun Ahmed

“প্রতি সন্ধ্যেবেলা
আমার বুকের মধ্যে হাওয়া ঘুরে ওঠে, হৃদয়কে অবহেলা
করে রক্ত; আমি মানুষের পায়ের কাছে কুকুর হয়ে বসে
থাকি-তার ভেতরের কুকুরটাকে দেখবো বলে”
― Sunil Gangopadhyay, সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায়ের শ্রেষ্ঠ কবিতা