Saturday, April 23, 2011

Poems - M. Vanlalhumi (Mahumi)

Thoughts of an Invigilator

sleepy i aint
nod off i caint
a pressure from within
and i gulp mouthfuls of air in.

is sitting so tiring
that i keep on yawning?
will scribbling and writing
make less of the yawning?

I sure do hope that it be so
'coz where i am, i have to stifle so.
round and round and round i stroll
if only i could rock and roll.

~~~


Crushed Love

you often wonder
what life has dealt you,
happiness eludes you
joy evades you
you curse life
you curse those who scorn you
damn judas, damn them all
life is like an elusive butterfly
you reach for it and it flies away.
damn love, damn life,
damn all butterflies.
you feel irrefutable love
you give irrevocable love
you dream of utopia
of walking down the aisle.
shattered, crushed, trampled
what was is no more
what used to be can no longer be
what was within reach is miles away
together is no more, you now go solo.
loneliness, solitude, emptiness
your only consolation, your companions
you hug them, you embrace them
like you'd never let go.
at times you want to have a fling
most times you want to crawl under the bed
and be a rip van winkle.
you put on a brave face
you smile while you cry inside
you always feel the pain -
the crushing squeeze in your heart.
time heals they say
but time crawls.
patience, courage - a distant dream
no silver lining anywhere.

~~~



M. Vanlalhumi, also known as Mahumi, is a school teacher as might be guessed from her light-hearted piece on the inertia brought on by exam hall duty. She is happily married with two young children. Her poem Remembrances of Dad was posted in December 2007 here.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Poems - C. Lalawmpuia Vanchiau


SILENCE SPEAK


Silence, the voiceless voice -
it speaks volumes
it triggers a strong
voice
it narrates a long
verse


silence soothes the heat
it makes mild a hot wind
and warms a late cold
tea

but not always..


sometimes it just
crazes oneself
without leaving
a footprint...



A LOVE LETTER

my beloved one,
i don't
know
why i
waited
so long
and then
drunkenly
attacked you
mindlessly.
may be
i just
wanted
to be sure
and not
to promise
hollow words,
and
it seems
to me
then
and now
LOVE
was there
since the very beginning
but now
is it
still there?

i am
happy
because
i know
you are
unhappy too,
and it is sweet
to be part
of the same
sadness
with you.
pleasure
was LOVE
and now
pain in
LOVE too

we must
know every
kind of
LOVE
through pain.
we'll know
the joy
of
meeting again
i want it,
i need it
and
i'll try to
get it
back.


(This poem was inspired by a letter written by Simone de Beauvoir (1909 - 1986) to her lover, Nelsen Algren)


C. Lalawmpuia Vanchiau completed his MA and M Phil. at the Central University of Hyderabad, and is currently working on a doctoral thesis from Mizoram University. He writes a regular literary column for a local monthly magazine and is deeply involved in birthing a new genre of Mizo literature that he calls Rambuai fiction, which deals with the traumatic Mizo pro-Independence movement of 1966.


Monday, April 4, 2011

Paper Boat - Dawngi Chawngthu























A boat
A tiny paper boat
Blown by winds of destiny
This way
and that way
Sometimes high
Sometimes low
Depending on the velocity of the winds
Quiet, peaceful winds
bring on the unexpected
yet welcome moments
too good to last…
for the sometimes-happy-paper–boat
Happy
yet knowing that
rough stormy weather
Would soon show up
And as expected
Dark clouds
With darker winds
Play havoc with
the small paper boat
ready to sink…


Dawngi Chawngthu was recently invited to present her poem Motherhood at a National Women Poets' Meet hosted by the Sahitya Akademy in New Delhi. The poem was also translated into Hindi and is now available to a wider reading audience in the country. Way to go, Dawngi!

Picture: Paper Boat by Mama aka Jiksaw Lalmuanpuia