Sunday, May 30, 2010

Beneath the Chattra

In one such twilight of May
When prophesy from laibung
Hums like bees in air
Fading sun languorous around your face
I wiped the sweat on your brow
Under those branches
Beside the running stream
We cast net and caught dreams  
Now it’s time to set them free
Once more
Into the ever running flow
Of river of dreams drown and lost
Once more
You came to measure the cost of my smile
When it soars into the sky
Like a kite with an endless twine
In the rain of this valley
You came and sat with me
You are gone so as the rain
Yet once more I am wet
You came
Like every day you come
Just to say “chatlage”
I tucked leihao on my ear
Once more I watch you
Recede through the laibung
You took from me
A fiber of my phanek
A wisp of my hair
A mark of my teeth on your fingers
And I sat under the Chattra
Gazing into loneliness
That flash of our departure
I become your mother and your woman 
Once more









3 comments:

  1. "Laibung" means the ground where the festival of Lai haroaba is performed in front of the diety. "Chatlage" means "I am leaving" or simply "goodbye". "phanek" is the traditional sarong like dress of Manipuri women. Chatra means a kind of flag with a long bamboo pole and with circular
    clothes hung around it offered to diety.

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  2. Beside the running stream
    We cast net and caught dreams
    Now it’s time to set them free
    Once more___

    well, these are the ones i like most.
    But this is a beautiful one.

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