Oshyajem Longkumer, a research scholar at Assam Don Bosco University and a teacher by profession, is the author of her first poetry collection, ‘Ineffable Muse.’
Oshyajem, from Ungma village, is married to Renem Imchen from Longjang and is a foodie at heart and enjoys travelling. She spent the most of her childhood and school days in Mokokchung, where she was raised, and the rest of her time in Guwahati, where she calls her second home. She’s currently posted in Mokokchung.

 

Oshyajem Longkumer

 

Her Poems have been featured in the launching issue of:

· “Soul Connection”(The first quarterly E-Magazine of Northeast India’s Literature and Poetry)

· “Olio” (The maiden Publication of Worsmithereens – the Nagaland Chapter of the North-East Writers’ Forum.)

· Inner Voice to Outer Verse – A Poetry Compendium (2021)

· A Ghazal’s Echo (2021)

· Blue Hill’s Official Anthology for Independence Day ’21 (2021)

· Elixir of Words- Volume 4 (2021)

Her debut book, ‘Ineffable Muse’ has prompted critics to praise her writing for its grace and simplicity. Some of her reviewers praised her skill to tuck away images and her endeavor to weave poetry as musical contemplation linked with exuberance of romanticism to depict philosophy of love as a strong weapon to exist, as well as her ability to describe the fight between hope and despair during the lockdown.

 

Dr. Lalthakim Hmar, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Assam University, Silchar, divides the book into four parts, believing that Part 1 primarily echoes human love shown during the lockdown period and, appreciates the love retained and manifested by people; Part 2 harps on the multifaceted sides of lockdown among humankind; Part 3 poems reflect wonderful sentiments and items of life as felt and met by the poetess as she closes by admiring nature’s beauty, which obliges the poetess to consider the Creator’s splendour in part 4.

 

Today, Mokokchung Times shares a brief interview with the poetess.

 

MTimes: Thank you for taking the time to read this, Oshya. Congratulations on the publication of your new book. So, could you take us through the steps that led to the release of ‘Ineffable Muse’?

Oshyajem: Thank you for your wishes. My debut book “Ineffable Muse” published by Blue Hill Publications, Patna was released on October 30, 2021. I distinctly recall noting in my diary that I would eventually publish a book of poems someday. I was humbled and more convinced that dreams do come true when “Ineffable Muse” truly happened. God’s fulfillment of my desire makes me incredibly grateful. I’ve been writing poems for years, but during the first lockdown in 2020, I set a goal for myself to write one poem every day for 21 days. That is when I became more motivated to write and came up with poems on every day events in order to create a collection of publishable poetry.

 

“Ineffable Muse” is about the tales and events that I have encountered throughout my life and how they have been transformed into poetry. It is separated into four sections, which together contains 85 poems, each representing my inner thoughts, emotions, and inspirations revolving around themes like love, hope, and nature. It is the first book on Poetry in English written by Mokokchung’s own published. And in the words of Bendangsenla, Assistant Professor, Fazl Ali College, who released and reviewed this book, “…like clear pools that are deceptive of how deep they are, in these lucent poems, there is a depth that cannot be fathomed at a single reading.” That is what “Ineffable Muse” is.

 

 

MTimes: What do you intend to do now that your book has been out and received such positive feedback?

Oshyajem: Well, I intent to keep writing and I am hopeful that there will be more books on Poetry in the near future.

 

 

MTimes: Do you have a background in literature?

Oshyajem: Yes, I did my Masters in literature from Cotton University, Guwahati.

 

 

MTimes: How did you become a poet?

Oshyajem: When we are young, we often strive to emulate our parents’ habits because we look up to them. I recall my father writing a daily journal and wished I could express myself in words the way he did. He prodded me into beginning a journal. I’ve been keeping a daily journal for the past 25 years or more.
My passion in writing first emerged while keeping a journal. Considering that I studied literature, poetry has always had my interest. Reading poems by different poets used to leave my feeling so awakened that I yearned to be a poet. It is journaling that inspired me to communicate my ideas and experiences via poetry.

 

 

MTimes: How is your poetry evolving? Please walk us through the many stages of your poetry.

Oshyajem: When I initially started writing poetry, I thought I had to adhere to certain guidelines for writing poetry. However, as time passes on, I’ve come to understand that all I really need to do is be open and honest in how I express myself.

 

I write poetry about nature a lot. I find that being in the midst of nature stirs me. I jot down any inspiring thoughts that come to me because if I don’t at that very moment, the thoughts slip away. When writing poetry, there are instances when the spontaneous word flow simply completes the poem and there are other times when I often browse dictionaries to discover new terms and play with it. I also make a note of any catchy phrases I come across.

 

To gain ideas and inspiration, I frequently read poems written by other poets. I also work to make my writings relatable to readers and simple to comprehend when I write. Having said that, the appeal of reading poetry is that every reader has a unique perspective and reading experience; I, therefore, leave it to the readers to let them flow in the rhythm of their own thoughts.

 

Before I publish my poetry with my audience, I also make sure that I let a few of my close friends and experts read them so that I could obtain their constructive opinion.

 

 

MTimes: A message for our readers

Oshyajem: Read books for it broadens your worldview. For writing enthusiasts, keep writing every day even if it’s just one sentence. That really does make a difference.

 

 

You can find her on insta @oshy.longkumer.poetry

Her books are available at:

Mokokchung

CONNECT (Next to Unique Bakery)

GREETING CRAFT ( Police Point)

SOYIM PRINTERS (Aongza Ward)

DOTS AND LINES (Kumlong Ward)

 

Dimapur

FUSION STORE ( Hotel Acacia Complex)

 

Kohima

MADE IN NAGALAND (Opposite Nagaland Civil Secretariat)

 

Guwahati

OM Bookstore, Panbazar

 

You can also get it online from: – Amazon, Google Play Books and Amazon Kindle

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