Noh-ka-Likai falls
In Rangjyrteh, upstream of the cataracts,
Lived Likai, a damsel of solitary parentage.
A sumpter by trade, she didst earn her livelihood
Transporting iron from village to village, oft away from home.
Leaving her infant progeny in the charge of others,
She labored long hours, her heart heavy with toil.
But Likai didst enter into matrimony a second time,
Hoping for a life free from toil and woe.
However, her spouse didst bear ill-will towards the babe,
And thus, the situation didst take a dire turn.
Upon her return from a day of toil,
Likai didst find her offspring missing.
But, being greatly famished, she didst partake of the cooked flesh,
Never suspecting the horror of her actions.
Thereafter, as she didst sit to slice betel leaves,
She didst behold a tiny digit, which she didst recognize.
Realizing the horror of her actions, Likai was seized with grief and rage,
Driven to the brink of the cataract, from whence she didst hurl herself into the abyss.
Noh in Khasi doth signify "jump,"
And thus, the cataract doth now bear the name Noh-ka-Likai falls.
Situated in Cherrapunji
A constant reminder of Likai's tragic fate.
Her sorrow and guilt doth linger on,
Echoing through the cascading waters,
As the cataract doth crash down to the depths below.
A cautionary tale, etched in the very landscape,
For all to behold and ponder upon.
The moral of the story, a warning to all,
To guard against the perils of ill-will and haste,
For in the end, only tragedy and despair doth await.
And so, Likai's legacy doth live on,
Through the Noh-ka-Likai falls, a testament to her sorrow.
About this poem
The poem "Noh-ka-Likai falls" tells the tragic story of Likai, a damsel of solitary parentage who lived upstream of the cataracts in Rangjyrteh. Likai earned her livelihood as a sumpter, transporting iron from village to village and often leaving her infant progeny in the charge of others. However, she enters into matrimony a second time in hopes of a life free from toil and woe, but her spouse bears ill-will towards the babe and the situation takes a dire turn. Upon returning from a day of toil, Likai finds her offspring missing and unknowingly partakes of the cooked flesh. Realizing the horror of her actions, she is seized with grief and rage and ultimately hurls herself into the abyss. The cataract now bears the name Noh-ka-Likai falls, located in Cherrapunji, as a constant reminder of Likai's tragic fate. The poem serves as a cautionary tale, etched in the landscape, warning against the perils of ill-will and haste, and Likai's legacy lives on through the Noh-ka-Likai falls, a testament to her sorrow. more »
Written on June 02, 2022
Submitted by Mawphniang.Napoleon on January 25, 2023
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:33 min read
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Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXXXAB XCXXBX XXXXX XXXX DEACXEXXDEC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,590 |
Words | 308 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 5, 4, 11 |
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"Noh-ka-Likai falls" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/149284/noh-ka-likai-falls>.
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