Poetry

The Faithful Pen

Dr Ranbir LaishramGuns can shut a mouth, but they can't stop the thinking mind,Can't quiet the heart that keeps naming who is gone,Can't steal the faithful pen that keeps writing what happened.Ashes fall, but stories do not die.Years move on and small thi..

The sunshine of civilization

Surjit AribammIn the western world it was a small island--The island of Greece which caught the first sunshineThe sunshine of civilization in the ancient past.There on the back of an intellectual revolutionThe human mind blossomed out,Into various petals..

Mother Earth

Thangjam LakshmipriyaMother Earth has everythingThe only planet that support lifeIt has air, water, soil where humans, trees, birds, water animals and wild life depends.We people use the resources; earth has,But we keep on filling the earth with litter an..

Who Shapes Whom?

Chongtham RonikumarThey say God created humankind,Yet many shape God in their own design.Truth is not a toy to remake at will,Nor a mirror for every passing whim.If the Divine is clothed in jest,And sacred light becomes a show,Will reverence fade into lau..

I Will Not Be a Footnote

Dr Ranbir LaishramI will not let my generation be a footnote.We live between whispers and shouts—false narratives spreading like oil across timelines, slicker than the truth.They trade blame like currency; every scroll becomes a marketplace of outra..

Offering

Chongtham RonikumarBefore the shrine I lay my gift,Coins and notes in trembling hands.For the child, for the home,For a future yet unseen.The drums fall silent for a while,Yet another call soon rises.Again the purse is opened,Again the heart is asked to g..

The Cry of My Six Brothers

GM PameihBeneath the silent sky they lie,Six brothers with a tearful cry.Their dreams were young, their hearts were bright,Now lost beneath the endless night.Their children call, their loved ones weep,Memories they cannot bury deep.A mother's tears, a fam..

A surge of love

Surjit AribamOh, how graceful and how sweetWas the vision--that vision of herThat a Ode of love surged up in my heartAnd it started to agitate as waves do.Heart could no longer contain it.Then like water pouring out of a vesselIt poured out of the vessel..

The albatross of mid-June : An odyssey

Gyanabati KonjengbamThe scent of the forest diffuses,The downpour lashes the unblemished garden of flowers.The unbroken dawn flickers in the odysseywhen the mid-June fever hits.The truth drowns in the taste of ale at the brewery of chaos.The heft of..

Seasons of a Lie

Dr Ranbir LaishramThey build stories like quick houses,bright on the outside, hollow inside.Words spread fast — like lanterns at night —and people gather where the light feels warm.You can fool most people for a season.Crowds cheer the easy st..

Dharma Era

Chongtham RonikumarIn the aftermath ofKali Yuga,Write what you are.Become what you have learned.You soundLike the worldThat has been raising youIn any society.Moral loss works out.It will not hide in any pause,As lessons written from long ago,In your book..

Life as it floats down

Surjit AribamFloating down the stream of time,Our life keeps moving forward.As it moves forward, our time future,Is being swallowed by our time presentAnd our time present by our time past.The quota of time futureGets smaller and smaller,While the quota o..

Cry Mother Cry

Randhir ThiyamCry Mother cry —not soft, not hidden—let it echo across the hills,through the smoke of burnt homes,over the silent loktak water.Your sons—they crown themselves kingswith borrowed pride,thrones built on ash.Brave?Ask the win..

The fate of Ophelia

M PrishikaShe ran through the forest,With madness in her heart,Drowning herselfIn the dark river.Until her final breath,The fate of Ophelia.Ophelia within me,Is the part of me,I try not to become.Ophelia unravels in herself,And I am the river.In its darkn..

When Hope Dies, A Match Remains

Dr Ranbir LaishramWe learned to fail — gently, like a tired hand letting go.One person slips; another lifts. A mistake becomes a lesson, a bruise a map.Systems can rust: decisions grind to dust, rulebooks break, streets shout.Still people rise: we g..

A Little Bird and My Net

Chongtham RonikumarI set a tiny net.A small bird fliesIn my way.It flutters wingsIts tiny heart goes,Tweet tweet tweet.I will cook it soonAnd walk aroundSomewhere else.I roam just like a priest.But when I come backTo my spot,It is not same soThe net is ge..

Nostalgia

Romeo ThingomMy Love for you is trueI will be feeling blueLiving without you.Every breath I takeEvery move I makeI do it for you.I can't express the joy I gotWhen I came to your house all aloneYour lovely eyes, your smiles, your talkEverything is unforget..

A battle

Aribam Surjeet SharmaThere was a battle going on Between my son and mosquitoes Many mosquitoes he had killed By striking them with his palm Against the white wall of my room. But I was aghast that he left My newly painted wall sullied With smudges of bloo..

Education

Thangjam LakshpriyaEducation is the pillar of a kingdomIt is the best property to have the best assurance of a better future. Education gives light in the darkness.That makes a person success in life.It is the best friendThat will never betray you.Value e..

The World We Make, The World That Makes Us

Dr Ranbir LaishramPresent times teach one painful lesson:We must find our own thread to survive the storm.There is no ready answer waiting in the world for the coming generations.It’s futile to seek peace in an ocean built from our own violence.This..

The Funeral of Kindness

Samson NingthoujamThe earth has grown so thirsty for goodnessthat even a drop of mercyfeels like rainafter a thousand dry seasons.Crowds celebratethe smallest softness from hardened hearts,tenderness arriving from such handsfeels unnatural—like wint..

Fractured Forever

Dipak KurmiWe began as a whisper in the crowded room,Just two names, learning how to be friends.Slowly, we built a fortress out of shared secrets,Never knowing where 'you' began and 'I' would end.Eight years.Eight summers of laughter, eight winters of col..

A spiral of violence and turmoil

Aribam Surjeet SharmaTurning and turning in a spiral--A spiral of violence and turmoil,Our state is moving headlongTowards an unknown destinationAn abyss of dark uncertainty.We remain afloat on flimsy hopesIn a sea of doubts and suspense,Or a sea of uneas..

Cries in Agony

Tourangbam JeniferA hope to change flees too fastBlithe in me withers like flowersNo sooner had I stepped in,The heavy storm roared with fierce lightningYet I face valiantly.Enduring the torment hard as hailstones.Neither stepping back nor overthrownThoug..

The dreamer’s dilemma – A gentle reminder

Dr Ranbir LaishramDreams are precious,They lift us beyond the ordinary,showing us glimpses of beauty and possibility.But when we live too much inside them,we risk losing touch with the people and moments that truly matter.A dream is not meant to replace l..

Anthem of Switland

Dr Ashikho Daili Mao Wake up, Rise Up, March on for Heaven, SwitlandEveryone For Free LandHold Fast the Flag Never FallingSwitland stands for PeacelandHeavenly, Suntight, Moontignt, StarlightsAll Blessed for SwitlandWake up, Rise Up, March on for Liberty/..

Calm reflection vis a vis brute violence

Aribam Surjeet SharmaOh, spine chilling and blood curdling murders.Among the victims, a child, rather, a toddler,With one eye out of the socket,Perhaps, being struck on the headWith something blunt-a barbaric action.Two naked women, their bodies bullet-sp..

Under One Sky or Leased?

Randhir ThiyamManipur is not burning..It is made burnt.A war—carefully unnamed.And the capital?It perfects the art of not hearing.Sirens fade into background music.Curated calm. Edited chaos.A headline they scroll past.Boots march- not to protect,bu..

When Guns Cast Shadows

Dr Ranbir LaishramTrust — every  leader talks about it,The autocratic leader says trust is everything.Only when trust is bornCan we make peace,Can we live side by side?But trust is missing—Between people,Between rival groupsBetween our et..

Journey of Life

Aribam Surjeet SharmaAs you walk down on the journey of lifeSome days will be sunny, some days gloomy.At certain moments, the caressing touchOf the soft loving hand of good fortune;At other moments, the cold chilling touchOf the hard icy hand of misfortun..

From Cradle to Cage

Syed RafiuddinI came with nothing, soft and small,No debts to rise, no fear to fall. The world was mine in gentle ways,Wrapped in love, in golden days.Milk was treasure, toys were kings,Dreams were light on fragile wings. No clocks to chase, no..

Half-Lived Days

Dr Ranbir LaishramWe wake up every day.Punch the clock, grind away.Work hard—no breaks, no play.Save every penny, stack it high.Dream of freedom someday.But bodies break.Backs ache, hearts strain.Health fades, years slip like sand.Then we spend it a..

Inner Realisation

Chongtham RonikumarI cannot search for malice  when waves interrupt  my sympathetic compassion.  I move on hands and knees  along the sea-shore line,  seeking the hidden meaning  in salt and shifting tide.  An invisible..

Liability of Beauty

Aribam Surjeet SharmaWhat a fine specimen of beauty!Very colourful and sweet scented.But, be warned--oh, beautiful flower,To some people, what most countsIs only your fascinating colourAnd not the sweet scent of yours.They may pluck you so their eyes Nay,..

Education

Thangjam LakshmipriyaEducation is the pillar of a kingdom.It is the best property to have the best assurance of a better future.Education gives light in the darkness.That makes a person success in life.It is the best friendThat will never betray you.Value..

Shadow behind Masquerade

Tourangbam JeniferUtterances of a chant echoYet the prayer goes consistentlySo, do the sacred offerings.The aroma of lovely flowers and fruitsHovers everywhere,Along the offering of colourful prasadThe scent of Lanceleafvatica sprinkles like rainHowever,..

Rise Anyway?

Dr Ranbir LaishramNot every day wakes up smiling.But we roll out of bed anyway.We show up.Feet on the ground.Heart still beating.Not everyone speaks straight.Lies twist like smoke.But we open our mouths.We choose the truth.Clear as morning light.Not every..

Gender Equality

Thangjam LakshmipriyaA girl child.With a secret smileInnocent in her eyesNot knowing what future holdsAs time passes byNature lay the soil of different culture and traditionsSocial norms let herDeny her dreamHer dream to exploreWhatever she learnedDream r..

For Future Generations

Randhir ThiyamElections?They're five-year love affairs with politicianswho ghost you the day after the honeymoon.But your generation?That's forever — or it should be.If you keep trading the future for campaign flags and photo-ops,don’t act sur..

Combing Operation

Chongtham RonikumarWhen that man arrives,We must leave at once,Without a sound,Without a still tracing stand.A dangerous dog stands near,Asking Lord Mahadeva,“Are you Nongpok Ningthou,Or someone else in disguise?”Truth hides in today's faith,I..

Truth and Peace

Aribam Surjeet SharmaTruth and peace are two kindred souls,Always in the presence of one another.We can't have one without the other.So, we won't have graceful presence of peaceWhile we withhold ultimate authority to truthIn settling various clashes in th..

Sunrise Always Wins

Dr Ranbir LaishramDark nights drag on.Black. Endless.Problems stack high.Storm clouds crash.Hearts weigh down.Doubts scream loud.But sunrise slips in.Every morning.Quiet. Steady.Paints sky gold.Unstoppable.Like river carving stone.Hope hides in shadows.Sm..

Vidura’s Warning

Chongtham RonikumarDo not go, my elder brother,A roasting fire waits for you.The house is made of lac and oil,It can burn in a moment.I have only one counsel:Dig the earth with your own hands,Make a small tunnel below,For shelter and for safety.Purochana,..

Her Signature

Aribam Surjeet SharmaSomeday, somewhere, our paths crossed,And I felt something so soft and tender,Or rather, a sweet refined emotionSurge up inside me at her graceful sight.It was like a breath of cool refreshing airGently striking my face on a hot day.I..

Grace Beyond the Crab Society

Dr Raheijuddin SheikhTo Him we all belong,And unto Him, we shall return—A truth we hold, though our hearts still yearn.Madam Binarani, a soul so rare,In a world of clamour, you breathed gentle air.Among the circle of principals, your peers,There are..

Firewall for the Future

Randhir ThiyamThe only password for tomorrow is timely caution.History’s hard drive is already glitching.If a people vanish, the map becomes a museum label.So the gatekeepers whisper a blunt fix: NRC.First scan the system, then run the census.Count..

Break the Wheel We Built

Dr Ranbir LaishramWe point at the throne,blame shadows in the crown—leaders we hoisted high with votes,like prayers that go unheard.Our own hands,shaking with hope,carved their scepters from our dreams—only to kneel again,feeding the systemtha..

Awaken Zeal

Tourangbam JeniferThe breeze twirls and dances over and overWith alluring elegant movesMurmuring everywhere it goesAs twilight falls, it roams incessantlyYet victorious and sereneBy and by its deed, the blue blue sky blushes. Leaves quiver noisilyThe Shri..

Death Unpredictable

Aribam Surjeet SharmaLike many fishes we remainSwimming down belowIn the sea of life.Like an eagle death remainHovering high aboveOver the sea of life.Without a care in the worldWe may swim about our days--Days either sunny or gloomy.Without any warning w..

Heartbeats of History

Bandana ThokchomIn whispered tales, the Greatest Generation stands,Resilient hearts, weathered by time’s demands.Their stories echo, trials faced with grace,A legacy of courage, etched in time’s embrace.The Silent Generation, born of hardship&..