light reading

015 It’s all in the mind : The Black Hot Water Pot

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment
The Black Hot Water Pot
It’s been years,
Technology and ways of living changed,
It was me,
Then  the gas stove boiling hot water,
Then getting in a running tap or shower,
Via sensor detection to voice recognition giving hot water at your command.You thought you will move on without me,
Seeing all the fancy high-tech equipments,
You begged me for my warmth during the economic blockade when there was no gas,
You are a commoner and dont even have the VIP electricity line,
Your fancy equipment betrayed you,
We are stuck together yet again for the coming cold winter days in Manipur.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

014 It’s all in the mind : Bringing Jasmine home

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

Bringing Jasmine home

It’s time to say good bye,
We have gone through crazy phase,
Sitting in front of Moroccon restaurant,
Late night chattering in the quite neighborhood of Bethesda,
Cracking lobster near a beach.

It’s time to say good bye,
We have seen each other’s high,
Sharing moments of happiness,
As life brought additions in our life,
Making us smile and giving a new dimension of life.

It’s time to say good bye,
We have seen each other’s low,
Sharing moments of helplessness,
Sharing moments of silence,
As loss, pain and hospitals give a new meaning in our life.

It’s time to say good bye,
Holding on to a parting gift,
Bringing home Jasmine,
As the strings makes the most beautiful sound,
Telling us we will meet again.

 

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

013 It’s all in the mind : Ruby The Dog

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

Ruby The Dog

Such an adorable little dog,
With soft black and white fur,
And expressive beautiful eyes,
Winning everyone’s heart,
The minute she walked in our home.

She guarded the house,
Welcoming family and friends with her wagging tail,
And barking notoriously warning us of strangers,
She practically grew up with us,
Witnessing every milestones of our life.

She gets older, bony and almost blind,
And one fine day she went for a walk never to return back,
Words spread that Ruby was hit by a truck,
But no trace of her and no body found,
And we never got a chance to say goodbye.

It’s a small community,
Where you always know who is doing what,
But no one will say anything about Ruby’s truck accident,
Time went by,
Searches continues without any success.

Mr. Mei fully drunk walks by our and his “Leirak” (road leading to home),
Swaying and barely able to walk,
As though he had the last ounce of guilt left in drunken body,
He confessed that he ate one and only “Matum” (piece)of Ruby,
As the others are gobbled up by the other drunks.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

012 It’s all in the mind : The Three 100 Rs.

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

The Three 100 Rs.

It was rainy season,
I had only a single pair of shoes,
Wearing the shoes out,
Walking through the winding road with slope,
The road filled with beautiful orange gul mohor petals fallen down,
To and fro from hostel to bus stop to college,
In a beautiful place call Banashankari.

One day it gave up beyond repair,
Opening once again like an alligator,
Speaking as fast as I could,
I told my mother I needed to get a new shoes,
There was silence in the other end,
And I had to keep the phone down as the LED display was nearing Rs.10.

Her silence meant a lot,
She must be thinking how she is going to send extra money,
When the funds are low,
When there are very few people to turn to borrow money,
When they openly comment of how tight their money is,
For they see her and think she will ask for money.

As though God read her mind,
She chanced upon this old man that day,
Who was enquiring about my studies,
The old man who has always been kind to us,
Giving his treasured crisp notes of three 100 Rs.
After learning about my shoes.

He left this world and I miss him,
But he stayed in my heart,
He was not related to me,
But bounded very closely by his love and humanity,
And I search for him in every old person I meet now,
Giving me a special bond with aging people.

 

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

011 It’s all in the mind : Breakfast with Mrs. B.

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

Breakfast with Mrs. B.

She is beautiful,
She is 84,
She has dementia,
Living life in her terms,
With crisp memories of her younger days.

She stays alone by choice,
With her daughter living close by, taking care of her,
Making sure her food is in the fridge,
Making sure the house is cleaned,
Making sure she has clean clothes.

But she can’t stand her daughter,
The daughter who manages her needs, visiting her everyday,
Meeting ends with her job and family, raising her own three little kids,
With no time to comb her hair,
But always wearing a smile on her face.

She adores her sons,
She enjoys their call,
As they spoke words of love and not a nagging reminder, for her medication, food or doctor’s appointment,
She waits for their visit,
And they visit once in a while coming in fancy cars, Taking her out in fancy restaurants.

Her daughter hired me to have breakfast with her mother,
Every morning, I introduced myself,
Using the same line,
I used yesterday,
She dressed well wearing a bright pink lipstick.

She spoke in rich English, with no room for using slang,
Taking me back to her sophisticated life, Taking me to places she traveled,
Showing me a world I have never seen,
As we eat breakfast together.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

010 It’s all in the mind : Ningol Chakouba

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments
Ningol Chakouba
In the land where you were born,
It’s a day meant to be,
With your parents,With your siblings,
It’s a day meant to be in the house you grew up.

Having a feast together with the best fish dishes,
Wearing your finest clothes and jewelery,
Celebrating your origin,
A day filled with love and laughter.

Stepping out from the house,
Filled with dreams in your eyes,
You never knew,
How much this day would mean to you.

Staying so far away,
Across oceans and mountains,
You are thankful for the wishes and celebrations with the family you have found,
And yet you feel the void.

Missing and longing to be in the place you were born,
To celebrate this special day,
Another year passes by,
And yet you stay hopeful to make it some other year.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

009 It’s all in the mind : The Red high heels

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

The Red high heels

You have been eyeing me for quite a while,
Seeing many others and yet coming back to me,
Watching me from all angles,
From your look I know, you want to walk with me.

If you are single,
You will get attention,
Heads will turn as you walk,
Making you Ms. Hot.

If you are married,
You will still get attention,
Heads will turn,
Making you a spendthrift.

Either way,
there will be heat,
Maybe a different kind of heat,
Swipe your card,
Take me home and dress up for yourself.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.

008 It’s all in the mind : Halloween

/ Monica Ingudam / 2 Comments
Halloween

You see witches strolling by,
You see people with mask,
Choosing to become a different you,
With no one judging you,
Accepting what you are,
Even celebrating with treats for being a different you.

~The End~

An Experimental attempt to put thoughts in writing by Monica Ingudam.