Displacement Poetry: Nicho Rongchehonpi

Nicho Rongchehonpi

Self-Statement: My name is Nicho Rongchehonpi originally from India belonging to the Karbi community. Currently I'm residing in Taiwan for my studies. I have always cherished writing as my hobby and the language that I usually use is my native language karbi and English. My work often explores the realms of imagination and the embrace of nature, drawing from real-life experiences that touch on themes of family, culture, and folklore.

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Two mask of displacement

Did you know displacement wears two masks?

One of hope, another of despair.

A quest for new life, away from home,

In search of dreams, they roam.

Blessed are those, they say, who leave,

Comforts traded for a brighter eve.

Money earned, yet hearts remain,

In the places they cannot regain.

But what of those, we often forget,

The displaced poor, in constant threat?

Huts and hopes washed away,

By wars and floods, they sway.

Imagine losing all you own,

 In open space, left alone.

No spark of hope, just endless night,

Seeking solace in a distant light.

We read the news, we hear the cries,

Safe inside, we sympathize.

Yet never faced such harsh dismay,

Behind our screens, we turn away.

Two types of displacement tear,

Yet the poor bear the heaviest wear.

If we quest for others’ betterment,

Might we break this cruel lament?

A question posed to hearts and minds,

Can unity heal what hatred binds?

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Quest 

Lying low in my dark, empty room,

Wishing for stars to break this gloom.

So many thoughts race through my mind,

Life’s so hard, solace hard to find.

I know the path is rough and steep,

But I didn’t know the climb so deep.

Adulting’s tough, but harder still,

Is surviving in this world, uphill.

No place to turn, no hand to hold,

Facing struggles, feeling cold.

I try to break these chains that bind,

Of poverty, and the scorn unkind.

In search of new skies, I quest and dream,

Where stars will shine with a gentle gleam.

To share that light with those I love,

To make them proud, to rise above.

A new quest in life, I chase each day,

For brighter skies, a better way.

To find my place, to break the night,

And bask in love, in starlit light

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Rising From the maze 

In the maze of my mind, confusion reigns,

Life’s direction lost, tangled in chains.

A message whispers, “Be the change you seek,”

Yet joy and sorrow play hide and seek.

At times I’m elated, at times I’m down,

Escaping duties, feeling like I’ll drown.

My career teeters on the edge of the abyss,

Uncertainty grips me, life’s hit or miss.

Met countless faces, all seem so sure,

While I drift aimlessly, searching for more.

At my lowest, I wonder and I blame,

Faith and fate, a cruel, twisted game.

Wrong country, wrong family, wrong turn I took,

Wrong love, wrong choices, pages of my book.

Doubt gnaws within, am I the mistake?

Self-blame looms, depression to awake.

Life’s harsh when wealth and wisdom lack,

I’m the talk of the town, with confidence cracked.

How to improve, how to reshape?

This silent cry, my soul’s escape.

Strangers indifferent, loved ones hurt,

Shielding their hearts, my emotions inert.

A modern girl, burdened with care,

Expected to guard, expected to bear.

But I rebel, I yearn for more,

A future bright, beyond this door.

Ten years on, I’ll rise, I’ll shine,

My words will echo, my work divine.

Regret will haunt those who turned away,

While I climb, I earn my place to stay.

To the top I strive, relentless, bold,

In this journey, I shape my gold.

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Setu, July 2024