Like Shelley with his “blithe spirit”
I have often tried to understand
this man who is named Kynpham.
How should I describe myself?
A son of a crab, since I fail to suffer
my mother’s temper, who, living in my
house, treats me as one of her tenants.
An abusive husband, since I decline to be
tamed in a matrilineal arrangement.
A devoted husband, since beautiful women
are intimidating and no one knows
I seek even now, the woman, who if found,
would be the ruin of my life.
A wicked neighbour, since I object to a toilet
being built against my compound wall and bark
at window-breaking locality boys.
A felonious councillor, since I attend the village
dorbar* without a moustache. A guilty bystander,
since I make myself small as a mouse, even when
riffraff and drunks are drowning out all reason.
A bad relation, since I dislike
clan meetings and spurn playing
mother against aunt
brother against brother.
An ‘evil’ administrator, since I forbid
the staff to come at noon
and depart just after noon.
A Vice-Chancellor’s chamcha, ** since I chance
to be a Public Relations Officer and the academia
cannot tell between personal and official.
A recalcitrant Indian, since I am buried
too deep in my tribal roots and refuse to be
swept away by the Main Stream. A mutinous
Indian, since I protest to army occupation,
uranium mining, influx and saffronisation.***
A counterfeit scholar, since I write
only poetry, working in a university.
A small-time poet, since I cannot class myself
a small-town writer, since this town judges books
by the weight and writers by their age.
A retrograde, since I want trees on the hills,
birds in the woods, fishes in the streams.
A heathen, since I believe in sacred groves.
An atheist, since I am not a Christian.
A heretic, since I believe in the humanity
of my conscience.
An enemy of the human race, since I believe
in animal rights and birth control. An advancer of the
Malthusian theory, since I wish to include weapons
of mass destruction in the list of natural calamities.
A hopeless believer, since I know not what
is to be done with all that I believe. A hypocrite,
since I pursue private dreams and like a dog,
nod with the head and shake with the tail to everything.
I shall describe myself as that supreme diplomat:
“I am who I am” and that is the ultimate enigma.
*Khasi village council. Traditionally, drunks and men without a moustache are not allowed to participate. ** A yes-man. ***An attempt to apply fundamentalist Hindu principles to important national policies.
complimenti, Kynpham! Un'altra bella poesia! another beautiful poem of yours.. I've really enjoyed..
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A well thought through introspective work. It speaks volumes of awareness and certain unfortunate realities Thanks for sharing, Sir Peace