Durow
I stand lonely on the roadway
No one could be seen
As I went ahead my pathway
I could hear a gunshot
I rushed like a wind could take me
What I saw I cannot believe myself
Children with bloodstains everywhere
I fell down to my knee and cried myself
As hours and seconds went by
People and ambulance came around
It haunted me like a nightmare
Lots of cries could be heard
Innocent lives are gone without any reason
Waiting for their loved ones to come back
Oh! What a dark day for us all
I do not know what to say or respond
It is gone like a petal of rose
It falls down from the enemy hatred
Oh! I wish I could see the smile
But I respond Rest in Peace with mourning
~ Durow
FAC Alumnus, History Department, 2018
(I wrote this poem during the outbreak of conflict between Kuki and Meitei on 3 May 2023)