Mid-June, mid-monsoon,
raindrops cluster on windows,
tree branches sway in the wind outside.
The front page of Vanglaini this morning carries
a picture of workers in a clearing on a steep hillside,
The caption says the YMA of Samthang village yesterday
came together to weed the land of a farmer
ailing and unable to tend to his land.
The paper also says there were 83 volunteers in all.
In the face of rapidly changing values and priorities,
Tlawmngaihna lives on,
and my faith in humanity is restored
this dismal monsoonal day.
Writer's note: This poem was inspired by this photograph that appeared on the front page of Vanglaini (Mizoram's widest-selling daily newspaper) on the 18th June 2025. The spirit of tlawmngaihna, the jewel in the crown of Mizo culture, clearly lives on today. Quiet, unobtrusive gestures of humanity that are never splashed gaudily on social media or even seem to be part of our contemporary life anymore but instinctively come to the fore when the need arises.
