Remembrances of Dad - M. Vanlalhumi

It is said that when you die
You go up in the sky
To become a star
If that be so
You must be the one I saw
That outshone the rest.
~~~


Dad
I thought you were winning
I thought you were going to get well again
Your weakness, I thought
Was because of your medication
I thought you were going to smile again
I thought you were going to talk again
I kept thinking that you would be
Stronger and better the next day
And I even slept quite well that night.
How wrong I was. I just didn't understand
I could never be more wrong
Cause the next day when I woke up
You were gone.
Never to smile again
Never to speak to me again
Never to advise or steer me
When I go wrong again.
You were gone
We didn't even say goodbye.
Gone, just gone -
Gone for ever.
~~~

M. Vanlalhumi is a high school teacher who writes poetry both in English and Mizo. Her poems are mostly expressions of highly emotional moments in her life; the two posted here being written for her father who passed away on Christmas day two years ago.

Picture: Sarah in her father's hand