Thursday, December 24, 2009

home no more

little cottage on the hill
lime washed walls, timber frame
holds a million memories

only memories.
father’s gone to sleep
beside mother under stars.
children have flown away.

the pine tree is cut down
the poinsettia too,
red geranium, gladioli and dahlia
they all died, one by one.

and though it’s christmas time
we’re not going home
there’ll be no christmas tree
for home is home no more.

when spring comes
wild daisies may bloom again
but we won’t be going home
home is home no more.

14 comments:

Aduhi Chawngthu said...

Bittersweet. But isn't life all about moving on and not staying in one place?

Calliopia said...

mesjay, what a gem of a little poem. You've evoked memories and nostalgia and displacement so brilliantly in these short, simple lines.

Anonymous said...

brilliant and moving. brought the tears to my eyes, as the song says.

Malsawmi Jacob said...

@Aduhi, yeah, but it hurts all the same.

@Calliopia,(bow). I take your critique with thanks and pride.

@Ruolngulworld, it was written with a lot of tears too.

Sekibuhchhuak said...

Lung ti leng, lungchhiatthlak !

Malsawmi Jacob said...

@Seki, lung te hi a chhe ve leh tlat thin ani.

Anonymous said...

That's the way it is —in certain cases! Nudging!

Darshan Chande said...

Beautiful.. beautiful.. beautiful.. !!

VaiVa said...

Lunglen reh lamah ka chhiar chu v atih chi ve aw! Hnuk a ti ulh thei dawn lawm maw le...

Blind Dayze said...

bleak&beautiful

OpaHmar said...

Happy new year
A very flowery poem indeed
The line "wild daisies may bloom again" reminds me of a song Roses will bloom tho I quite dont remember the words

Jerusha said...

mes, this is beautiful! And sad, sad, sad...

Anonymous said...

"..poinsettia, red geranium, gladioli and dahlia.." I grew up around these flowers, yet never learnt to spell or identify them, love of gardening was one thing my folks had in common but I didn't really share the interest..
"..home is home no more.." beautifully sad lines, gets worse when you read it over and over again.. *sniff!

Malsawmi Jacob said...

@Chawnghilh, yeah, we can't change the facts.

@Darshan, thanks & thanks.

@Vaiva, lunglen te chu i hriat ve ngai pawh ka lo ring lova!

@Blinddayze, thanks. Btw, we met your dad in Aizawl early December, but sadly couldn't meet your mum.

@Opa, Happy new year! You should see those wild daisies, you wouldn't think of roses then!

@Jerusha, just trying to make pearl out of pain.

@Blackestred, my folks loved gardening too. Buthe flowers were done by my sisters.