A Silence that Speaks: Review of Monalisa Chanjika’s This Silence

I am done with definitions,

descriptions, images and adulations

of the hyped, the hyperboled

‘strong woman’ ~

inevitably perceived as high-strung and hyper-sensitive

Now I will be human

and weep when it hurts,

A bit of brokenness is necessary to create art. And so, brokenness here finds its release in poetry, as attested through these lines from the poem Because;

It is because I’m lost

I can find my poetry and music within me

to guide me to where

I can be found.

Vernal Showers is a particular favorite, emotively weaving verses on finding healing in nature, in springtime showers;

These vernal showers

that lash against

my window panes

or pour gently

on my roof top

cleansing and renewing

my entire being

But grief is a relentless companion, stubbornly persisting. In the same poem, the poet masterfully navigates joy alongside heartache with the following lines;

These days

I take

what I can

giving what

I have

knowing these

vernal showers

gently pouring outside

no longer hold

dreams of passion

or promises

for one steriled,

and exiled

by advancing years

……….

What a shame

these vernal showers

cannot wash away the stains

nor put out the fires.

As with Grief, Youth and Age are also recurring themes, beautifully juxtaposed with poems like Sunset, Marks of Time, Age Related & Age Defying and At my Age. They say is a lovely little poem which instills courage to just be, to speak up and not be confined or restricted by societal norms.

Must I know how to sing, to sing?, the poet challenges.

For students of literature, Changkija’s writings are often associated, if not synonymous, with themes pertaining to gender, protest/resistance, and culture. In this regard, the poet does not disappoint with Take this Name a thought-provoking poem which takes on the Ao Naga custom which stipulates that only the name of a married woman may be returned after her death, if she was married into another village. The poet urges that her name to be taken now, on her own volition, and asks;

Why wait for death to take

what must anyway be returned?

Themes on mortality and death pervade throughout the collection with powerful poems like When I die, The Hours say, Is it Time Already? and When I Died. Changjika has the ability to treat seemingly grave themes with a lightness which is familiar, while still deep and contemplative. Skillfully employing sparse language, the two-line poem You said, I

replied elucidates how there are greater fears than physical death.

“People die, you know”, you said

“Yes, I know. But only if we forget they lived”, I replied.

At times, the reader might feel like he or she is in intimate conversation with the Poet, other times, there is a quality of listening into a private conversation or an inner monologue. That many of the poems are dated lends a touching intimacy to the entire collection and forges a familiarity between the poet and reader.

Don’t bank on me is written with refreshing directness as evidenced by these candid excerpts from the poem

I really don’t know what tomorrow would bring

I’m only a journalist, and a human to boot

Not a soothsayer.

…...

And who am I to challenge

the tenets of democracy,

and the role of the Fourth Estate

I vowed to uphold, on my own volition,

which wasn’t anyone’s bone of contention,

when I made my decision.

Be all that as they may,

go ahead, and do your thing.

I just want you to know

Don’t bank on me.

…..

I’ve never been a good shoulder to cry on,

I’ve never pretended otherwise.

And I’m not about to change my ways.

Poems like Moments of Truth, Empowerment, Irrelevant, Master Suckers and Miasma continue in the same autobiographical vein which is resilient and uncompromising, with a touch of irreverence. Unfinished Business is delightfully unabashed with its acceptance of an unfinished business between two friends which might always remain unfinished.

The title poem This Silence and Conversation with Silence personify silence in a way that is discomfiting while deeply heartfelt.

The poem Music in the bathroom, effectively ties the spirit of the entire collection- which is indisputably indomitable. The poet writes;

I resolved ~ from today I quit

cigarettes, all toxicities ~ people and non-people,

exercise, lose weight, stuff myself with fruits and veggies,

generally do what Doctors say I must.

And all this I resolved after lighting another cigarette,

while pouring myself a Brandy

~ what’s a girl to do when it’s a dark cloudy day, freezing?

And our Power Department decides to take a break,

maybe it’s worked for the best ~

I discovered I am a great bathroom singer

I could sing all the notes, you know.

With 2020 starting with a freezing water bath.

I think the message is clear

~ I must now consider a career in music in the bathroom.

In light of the range and nature of themes, this specific choice of poem seems intentional and movingly symbolic. The struggles and aches remain, and yet, in the new year, the poet chooses to shift focus on music in the bathroom. This is Monalisa Changkija.

Dr. Avinuo Kire

(The writer is a noted poet and author)