By: Achingliu Kamei

Pristine beauty, they say
But where do you begin to write?

In the Land where oil flows under the hills
Littered with gold dust, black gold
On which everything grows except peace
The sky is blue, and the mists laden with dew’s tears
Crickets never sang out of tune
The moon, in her glory, rarely disappears

A hole in the heart

Grass and shrapnel everywhere
Soldiers thump the streets and crawl at nights
Out of the wreckage scurried a field rodent
Together, they rampage or burnt or torch everything
A hole in the heart

Youths and veins pulsating with fhoren stuff and music
Head banging or banging down doors
Camouflage attires arouse fear
Sweet music flows smoothly in the
Golden Triangle corridors
Old and young customers
Salaries and mother’s toils all went into the veins
A baby on the mud floor cries to the moon

A hole in the heart
Where do you begin to write?

Terror, trauma, bombs, and shells twisted, unfurl
Fear grew wings, its belly protruding with a pungent aroma
Write a word, a line, a story
There, it would be hidden from the enemies

A hole in the heart.

Who would let the stories flow out?
Militants? Peacemakers? Soldiers? National workers?
Flute, strings, reeds, take it miles out,
Over the mountains and the valleys to sing back to us
To talk stories to us generations later, to return home
And mend the hole in the heart.

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Achingliu Kamei is a poet, author, and ultra-runner passionate about storytelling and endurance. An Associate Professor in the English Department at ARSD College, University of Delhi, she brings a unique blend of academic rigour and creative expression to her work. Achingliu has authored two poetry collections, Songs of Raengdailu and Restless Oceans, both of which resonate with deep emotion and vivid imagery, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and the human spirit. Her writing captures the essence of life’s complexities, offering readers a profound and moving experience. When not teaching or crafting poetry, she pursues ultra-running, exemplifying her belief in pushing boundaries both in literature and in life.