Latrine
Dr. Nunglekpam Premi Devi *
Open and airy; wide and empty;
As I remember again and least;
Somewhere in the corner; somewhere at the edge'
Down far distance, away from house into the bush;
Into the wilderness, into the bamboos, into the woods;
Into the shrubs, into the forest and into the back mound;
And behind the banyan tree and behind the mango tree;
This places a sacred one, that spots a secret entity;
Swiping across time; those places' a good storage;
Men! Never bewildered, changes too quickly
One upon the other, one upon another;
Heaps into heaps; pile upon pile;
How fascinating I was into those days;
Wasn't available any latrine hut, a close one;
No wonder, all see through all empty still unseen;
Into the leaves guarding; standing tall trunks,
Into the ground, behind the mound occupying;
Holding tightly grasping onto as never let go off;
Firm and quietly; sitting and holding onto as never fall off;
Steps so clear, steps too committed step upon not;
Behold! And secure those edges boundary,
Spot them through not into the leaves;
Notice them through not into the wild greens secret;
Seeing all prohibited; seen is unseen and ignored,
Watch them clear; aware them exactly;
Oh! Those hanging piece of cloth,
Phanek! A signal, a truth of compromise
It's an engage; and it's a reservation
How fascinating I was into those days;
Wasn't available any latrine hut, a close one;
I still recalled those memories, so heavily concern;
One part to be performed without fail,
All once at a day, all while privately and discreetly;
Oh! That entity, feeling too awkward, can't imagine
Sunny day still a foul day all dried up still in the sun;
Strong pungent breeze carried across sharing;
Flooding! A disaster to them
Pouring out all those full heaps into the road;
Scattered out into the lane, it's a tragedy dilution;
Water its agency, floated and carried away,
Wet and bubbly, dare step upon them too many;
So wild and so barbarian, I doubt not;
Too primitive as we grow so naïve natural;
How fascinating I was into those days;
Wasn't available any latrine hut, a close one;
* Poem written by Dr. Nunglekpam Premi Devi for Imphal Times
The writer is an Independent Scholar
This poem was webcasted on June 23 2018.
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