Slingstones

Slingstones is a poetic exploration of the historical and spiritual landscape of Naga communities. Mmhonlumo Kikon�s poems isolate and examine the unchanging nature of space and time, the past and the present, the here and now. He takes a penetrating look at the banalities of daily life that actually shape and define the contours of identity, both within communities and outside. Kikon�s poems identify the constructs of the modern world that seek to replace the indigenous. He explores the process of self-preservation employed by tribes against the onslaught of material and ideational forces. From the habits of culture to the distinct quandary that communities have to face; from the struggle to come to terms with the evolving world to the rush to educate the so-called �savage�; and from abandoning the ruins of colonialism to taking a measured approach to change, this collection is an intimate and brave review of lives lived in the wide expanse of nature and their interactions with the outside world. This is a searing portrayal of the innate and native desire to revive a cultural ethos that has been drowning in a vortex of complex and systemic institutions. The path of these poems and their sweeping swathe is magnificent and painful.

Categories: Poetry