Shipih's Journey Poem by Ibohal Kshetrimayum

Forty-seven years old,
But he remains lost at eleven.
He smiles at dogs and people
With effortless honesty.
He rolls an iron ring, and
Follows the sun everyday
Along the wah-umkhrah river.
Having sired by an outsider,
Everyone calls him Shipih,
And he cleverly hides a protest.
He attends no school
But raises a finger and
Says 'up yours' when provoked.
At dawn today,
Shipih and his wheel
Wait for the sun to begin
Another day's journey.
He talks to his metallic partner,
'Today, we will tail the sun
Till we find the east', and
They trail westward under a coughing sky.

Note: Shipih is a Khasi word, meaning half a rupee. An offspring of a Khasi woman and a non-Khasi father is often called Shipih.