Meet the 21- year old poet, Imolemla

The 21 years old Imolemla of Ungma village is an aspiring and an artistic poet residing in Kumlong Ward. She is an English Honors student of BA 6th semester from Fazl Ali College who developed her passion for reading when she received her first ever “Tinkle” book from her mother as a child.

 Growing up, novels replaced Tinkles and that was how she developed her love for literature which dragged her into writing poems. She then gradually started participating in various inter-college, regional and state level poetry writing, spoken word poetry and speech competitions.

And she was able to bring home some laurels.

 As of now, her area of focus is on poetry where she writes sonnets, odes, elegy, free verses, and many more. According to her, she gets her inspiration from the everyday mundane things in life. She also likes dwelling and writing on the different unspoken emotions she feels in her day to day lives which is rarely talked about. 

 Unable to express her emotions much, she started writing about it in the form of poems, making poetry a very special part of her life.

 In the future, she looks forward to writing both fiction and nonfiction stories because she feels that there are lots of stories with utmost importance that need to be reached to the masses and she hopes to be one of the vessels who brings it to the people.

 Mokokchung Times takes you on a brief conversation to know more about her.

MTimes: Where do you usually draw your inspiration for your poems from?

Alem: I am inspired by the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth who are both Romantic poets. Also, I draw inspiration from nature and from the mundane things in life and also from the people around me. Inspiration for me comes in many forms and I believe everything that surrounds us has a story to tell, if we are just patient and willing to give an ear to it.

MTimes: When did you write your first poem and how old were you?

Alem:  I wrote my first poem in the year 2012 when I was 12 years of age. But my first breakthrough was in 2015 when I won my first poetry competition in my high school.

MTimes: What does your family think of your writing?

Alem: My family is my pillar and strength and the one thing that keeps me going. They have always given wings to my passion and every day, I soar higher thanks to their support. I have a very close knit family and as a result, we motivate and support each other in all walks of life.

MTimes:  What is your favorite work of yours?

Alem: My favorite work of mine is an Ode I wrote to my late grandfather Benpuluin who was a visionary. I was asked to write the ode during our B.S.T (Benpuluin Semchir Telongjem) silver jubilee celebration in the year 2021. I wrote this poem based on my mother’s stories of my grandfather which she narrated as bedtime stories to me and my brother.

Ode To Benpuluin
I
Mother said in the heart of spring
You lived; humble, kind and firm.
Your laughter still in her ears ring,
Your effulgent smile; your kindness affirm.
A man of few words; O Thee
With love; our sorrow you disarm,
An inspiration; generations agree.
We hope to grow in your shadow
For we are the branches of your tree,
Respect and honour; we wish to bestow
Upon your great name! O Thee
For whom this jubilee is, to show
The world how great your love, like the sea
Engulfus with blessings for the world to see.

II
Oh beautiful, “The Garden of Eden!”
Called they your field- a wonder,
A save haven, a home, a mother
On whose laps, the down in spirit, came to surrender
Their pain; resting under her green bosom
Drinking from the clear spring that ran,
Filling their stomach with luscious fruits.
The folks reminisce their childhood
Calling you, “The gardener who loved to share”
With grandma right beside you,
Your laughter loud and clear
As you watched them run, climb and swim.
A happy place indeed
For the guardians were kind.

III
A man who brought generations into being
Countless like the stars, here we are
Offsprings of your ten children, agreeing
You watch over us from afar.
We rejoice our blessed state:
To be called Benpuluin Semchir Telongjem,
Indeed a wonderful fate!
Heaven’s most beautiful masterpiece
What an honour to be called your grandchildren.
A man of valour and integrity
We honour you for your spirit,
Praise you for your soul.
We will continue to rejoice our fate
Until we meet again in Heaven’s gate.

IV
Grandpa, you were there amongst the many
Creating a legacy that history could never bury:
40 years have gone by
Yet your memories remembered by many.
Listening to the stories of mother
Like a soft lullaby she recites
Your story; I close my eyes and wonder
How wonderful it would have been
To have you hold my hand,
Teaching me to walk; crying in your arms
When the world outside gets tough.
Ah, a beautiful dream, but alas, a dream.
But sorrow is not what I feel, for
Rooted in your identity, here I stand- tall and proud.

MTimes: Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Alem: I do hear from my readers often. They have been that motivating factor for me. Often times, when I finish writing a new poem and they get to read it, I get messages where they say things like they felt those poems were for them, that it helped them get through some tough times, and also as to how they felt they were not as unseen as they felt before because they saw themselves reflected through my poems. I also got some positive feedback from some international readers on Instagram.

MTimes: Would you like to pursue a writing career?

Alem: Definitely! I want to be known as a Littérateur and a Scrivener because writing is where I want to make my identity.

MTimes:  A message to our readers

Alem: Get a dream. It does not always have to be linked to economic benefits. A lot of times, we get discouraged by the world when our dreams do not come along with economic benefits. But, if you love to write, write! If you love to sketch, sing, dance or whatever it might be, do so. Do not lose your identity and your individuality just to fit in with the masses. Take that leap of faith and you will be surprised to see where it takes you. At the end of the day, you are only proud of yourself when you do something that you love doing the most.