by Chaoba Phuritshabam
On the day of Cheiraoba*,
My eyes were eagerly looking
at those empty vessels in my kitchen.
My son was crying and shouting
so that I feed his empty stomach.
I was looking at the dark empty road,
Just like a miracle would come across in my way.
I don’t know why I’m living on this earth?
While I was lost in my own thoughts
the cry of my child wake me up again,
My child is crying again to feed his empty stomach.
The tired corpse like body of my husband
Lying on the cold muddy floor,
Just like a dead body,
So that he can hide his pain and anguish
Over nothingness,
Over his own faith,
His eyes were red and wild,
He stared at me and laughed loudly
Taunting my thoughts
He was laughing at me for the reason I was looking for,
Why I’m still living on this earth?
Silence was broken again with the cry of my child,
He was shouting again so that I can feed his empty stomach!!!
* Cheiraoba is Meitei New Year which usually falls in April. Apart from welcoming Spring season, it is a day of feasting and festivity in each an every household, rich or poor. A number of traditional delicacies are prepared in each household and shared with neighbors too. For many, not having anything to cook on Cheiraoba would imply that the family would go hungry the entire year.
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