Friday, August 18, 2006

Shamsur Rahman, arguably the most important poet writing in Bangla in the past 50 years, passed away today. His most well known poem, Freedom, was written during Bangladesh's Liberation War. He thought freedom was poems and songs, waving unkempt hair, radicals marching, peasant’s smile, a girl swimming, dialogues over tea, father’s prayer mat, mother’s white sari and lover’s black hair. I hope he has found his freedom.