O Manipur, my
confusion
What have you become?
People say the divide is new;
They say it’s all the politics and the government.
Really?
It may be the government now
But certainly not before!
Rather, was it not the beliefs in new gods and goddesses;
Was it not the foods, dresses, tales, songs
And thoughts from beyond
That we foolishly believed makes us different as peoples?
Our hearths detached;
Our foods broken up;
Our dresses split;
Our tales confused;
Our songs re-tuned;
And people rudely tagged as Ching mi and Tam mi
But still joined at the umbilical
And it hurts every time there is a tug in the opposite direction!
What have you become?
People say the divide is new;
They say it’s all the politics and the government.
Really?
It may be the government now
But certainly not before!
Rather, was it not the beliefs in new gods and goddesses;
Was it not the foods, dresses, tales, songs
And thoughts from beyond
That we foolishly believed makes us different as peoples?
Our hearths detached;
Our foods broken up;
Our dresses split;
Our tales confused;
Our songs re-tuned;
And people rudely tagged as Ching mi and Tam mi
But still joined at the umbilical
And it hurts every time there is a tug in the opposite direction!
Immanuel Zarzosang Varte
18th August 2015
18th August 2015
