The following poem by Sibu Kumar Das won the second prize in Regional Category of Wingword Poetry Competition 2022

ଏ ସମୟ ବଡ ବିଚିତ୍ର,

ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ କରେ;

କାହାର ଏ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ,ନଦୀ ଓ ପର୍ବତ ?

ଅପାରଗ ମଣିଷ ଭିଇଲାଣି ସର୍ତ୍ତ ।

ସେ କହେ ମୋ’ର,

ମୁଁ କହେ ମୋ’ର,

ନଦୀ ମୋ’ର, ନଦୀ ମୋ’ର;

ପ୍ରକୃତିର ଦାନ,

କେ କରିବ ଆନ

ହୁଅନ୍ତୁ ସେ ପ୍ରବୀଣ ବା ନବୀନ ?

ଅକାତରେ ଯଦି ବହି ନପାରିଲୁ,

ଯେହୁଁ ଜଳ ହିଁ ଜୀବନ ଖର;

ତହୁଁ ମହାନଦୀ ନୁହ,

ତୁ ଏକ ସାଧାରଣ ଶୁଷ୍କ ଧାର ।

ମହୋଦଧି ମୋ’ର ମହାନଦୀ !

ସମୟର ଡ଼ାକ,

ମୋ’ ମନ୍ତ୍ର କୁହୁକ

କଳକଳ ତୁ, ଦୁଃଖତାପ ହରି ବହିଯା;

ମହୋଦଧି ମୋ’ର ମହାନଦୀ !

ଗଡଜାତ ପାଣି,

ଜୀବନକୁ ଠାଣି

ଦିଲଦାରିଆ ତୁ, ଦରିଆ କୁ ବେଗ ବହିଯା ।

About the poet

Sibu Kumar Das (b 1956) is a 1978 Post-Graduate in English Literature from Utkal University. After a brief stint as a lecturer in colleges in Odisha, he joined a Public-sector bank as a Probationary Officer. He retired from his service in bank in 2016 and has been spending his time in reading and writing. He reads and writes in English, Odia, Bengali and Hindi. He has been occasionally published in magazines and newspapers. Literature has been his life-long passion, starting from his days in school.