The string
Dr. Nunglekpam Premi Devi *
Waking up earlier is too dull and sleepy,
Still it's always the same; 3 o'clock in the morning;
Shaking me up hard, pulling off my clothe sheets;
'Get up' 'get up'; reaching her ice struck hand;
Water on my face one and two, terribly cold;
Oh mother! What am I? So angry, I walk on weakly
No words spoken; so quiet and seriously she pointed;
'Read your books' 'Read it out loud'
Sweeter as I yarn, with those teary eyes looking upon;
Colder as I lay on 'Bora' shaking, holding that 'podon'
Heavier the 'Pondri' I carry on my back;
I yarn and I murmur, I read and sleep,
Jujj! I startle, burning my hair mistakenly;
Smelling terribly, I rub and I rub concealing hairs.
It's too arousing, smelling those morning breeze;
It's Sweeter when I see 'him' engaging in work,
I forget and I smile, I watch and I feel relax;
All in, Duty to duty; work to work, busy serene morning;
Incredibly I remark, so perfectly settle, I survey beholding;
With those 'khudei', 'khwangchet' and 'mojafurit', so perfectly match,
Strong within, those breath takes a moment;
He cuts and he trims, those wild green and bushes;
Muddy and dirty, splatter and greasy, as he holds hard;
Father! Oh father! He divides none
Brave as he's, stronger as he waves through cutting;
One and two, he swings and swings across,
He's been attach bloodily, still he utter a move;
'kakfeis' fully droll as I saw, sucking to 'his' body.
I read and I stop in between, watching 'him' performing,
I blink and I roll my eyes, spying 'his' activity;
He searches for no safety, as he walks out of shallow pond;
Breathe taking as 'he' carries bamboo logs, muddy;
He looks for no hour, neither time, he doesn't stop,
Dusty floor a sitting tool, with his engaging hands;
Up and down, down and up, to and fro,
He waves his 'thangjou' sharper and he waves 'payas';
Bamboo 'payas and payas' one after another,
Bundle by bundle, he waves no stopping slitting through;
Up and down, down and up, to and fro,
Carving and splitting, slitting and slashing;
'Get me a glass of water' he call
Fast I jump out, shedding off 'pondri' easing;
And I ran to give 'him', happily.
I cherish some and I create few moments;
I stop and I roll up 'bora' as I stand beside 'him'
Concealing those burnt hairs, rubbing now and again;
I witness his 'dancing' fingers, none tired,
Moving and bending up and down;
Catching and holding 'paya', leg to hand so parallel;
Joining and framing fences, holding and fastening tightly;
Waves after waves, knots after knots;
Twisting and tying, bunch after bunch
Ah! So mesmerizing,
Oh! Father, greater you're, taking me to far abundance;
Forgetting those icy hands, I rejuvenate within;
This string, this attachment, none breakable;
Harder you twist, stronger it stands;
This moment you give, I witness a lifetime.
* Poem written by Dr. Nunglekpam Premi Devi for Imphal Times
The writer is an Independent Scholar
This poem was webcasted on August 07 2018.
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