Melban Lyngdoh
The Golden Casket
Bloom of a new light,
Gold - as precious as diamond.
Box full of new mystery.
Open it and you will be swallowed,
Ignore it and you will be chased.
Wonders that were never seen
Time and day will fail to cease.
Dark as the starry sky you see,
Feelings that were never heard or felt to spell
You may see it but fail to be felt
You cannot get out until you answer it,
You cannot hear it until you question it.
Once you answer it day will come
You will forget it all, and it will vanish.
You won’t find it,
You won’t see it.
The secret will be revealed for once and forever,
Days will start again from where it stopped.

Back to Autumn 2022

Manphika Surong
She hides herself, when she’s most beautiful. 
She clothes herself, with luminous grace. 
Her lustrous desires never ceases, 
As she peeks on every face.
She hears the young ones cry, 
And the soft moans of the sky.
To her, 
Every secret is known. 
Every pain unveiled.
She sees the wounds of the little women;
The romantic dates of young lovers. 
Some days, it’s murderous attempts. 
She can save, not a single soul.
She hears the silence of the city, 
And the roar of a man’s heart.
To her, 
Every desire is revealed. 
Every soul is uncovered.
As she clothes herself with luminous grace. 

https://kajingshai.rkmshillong.org/2022/09/06/the-golden-casket/

Back to Autumn 2022

it started to rain…
On the glistening green leaves,
On the stones ruining grey,
On the roofs, rusting it red,
On the nest, spoiling their dreams.
The tea seller drooling
Undisturbed by the thunders
Relishing on his wooden couch
Stalled under the raining roof.
At break of the day,
He saw two sparrows
Shading near his kettle
Alas! Their broken home.
Miles away from home,
Still drenched with memories
Of the meadows, ponds
And their huge Neem tree.
By and by he told the sky
To bring those days that had gone by,
No more a foreign in this city
Yet an unrecognized soul.
Stories sweet or sour
Over a cup of tea or two
Mattered nothing to him,
For all he cared was to earn a living.
Round the corner of the year
The festivals knocking
The only thoughts hovering
This year, things will be changing.
“While trying to make a house,
I forgot to live in that house.” He thought
The sun came out
Leaving behind the steamy soil.
A month and a half left,
To return to the dwellings
The old ones once more
But not as cosy as before…
Sound of the drum beats
And Catkins all the way home,
Was what he wanted to see
Apart from the smoke’s hazy sight.
The autumn’s golden sky
The scattered clouds at night,
Yet he could only embrace
The embers from the dark coal burns.
Summers come and go
While Autumn’s flower bloom,
Somewhere deep within
He knew he forgot about the rain.

Back to Autumn 2020

Avner Pariat

Ko Mei Mynnor, phi la iohthiah jlang
Phi la jah nangne bad phi poi syngkhor halor ki lum
Phi la tap nep ïa la ka met da ki khlaw rben
Kiba bun kim thud shuh ïa phi
Ki leit kdup ïa kiwei pat ki kmie
Mei Mynnor, nga kwah ban iohsngew biang ïa ki khana jong phi
Ngan ai um lada phi jnang ne sohkdiah

Iathuh, mei, ïa nga kiei ba phi la dep leh ha ki por hyndai
Ngan sngap, mei, ngam khih nangne

Ki don kiwei kiba wan sngap ïa ki khana jong phi ban tan sha lade
Ki wad ban pyntreikam biang ïa phi
Kim wad ban pynim biang ïa phi
Kim wad ba ki ieid ïa phi
Ki wan ba ki donkam.

Back to Spring 2022

Ha la ka tnum nga ïeng bam lyer.
Nga artatien ïa ka jingkhuid jong ka,
Haba ym sma shuh kum ka jingai sngewbha ka mariang,
Hynrei, sma pynban kum ka jyntah sah-miet u paramarjan.
Hapdeng ki ïing paki-dulan ka Laitumkhrah– Khlem dieng, khlem siej, khlem ñiut, khlem ñier: Nga ‘i tang ki dongmusa u ‘riewstad Ba phalang blar-blar khlem jingim.
Kim pynshahshkor ïa ka lyer sah-miet
Kaba kawut shane-shane, shatai-shatai.
Ha khrum ka sahit bneng pat,
Ïa kaba ki khlur ki ksoh
Bad ki lyoh ki bitnah kum ka dpei jhieh– Sngew kumba ka don ka jingïatainia noh-shiliang.
Ka khyndew ka kyrhuh da la ki kali, ki khiew-siaw, ki ‘sew-lamwir,
La sngew kumba ka khyllew sha ka bneng, “Kham riewspah manga!”
Ka bneng pat, jai-jai ha la ka jingsngur,
Ka sammut da ka ‘leilieh hangne hangtai.
Manga, tang kum u nongpeitkai,
Ïa kata ka jingïatainia noh-shiliang;
Nga lam biang sha ka jingsma ka jyntah sah-miet.
Uei mo u ban shet ‘tungrymbai hapdeng ka lyïur?

Back to Spring 2022