When I Cry My Silent Tears - By Akumla Longkumer

Written By: Akumla Longkumer

Category: Poetry

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Akumla Longkumer brings forth a profound reflection in her poem, "When I Cry My Silent Tears," a stirring entry in the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar. Through the lens of poetry, Longkumer conveys a deeply personal exploration of familial bonds, cultural transformations, and environmental changes that echo with silent resilience. This piece, submitted under the Poetry category, resonates with universal themes of loss, transition, and the quiet strength found in vulnerability.

About the Work

"When I Cry My Silent Tears" is imbued with a poignant and reflective tone. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt language, the poem navigates themes of tradition, the passage of time, and the impact of external forces on personal and cultural landscapes. Longkumer's literary style is rich with emotion, as she weaves a narrative that captures the complexity of change and the silent tears shed in its wake.

When I Cry My Silent Tears

Original Submission by Akumla Longkumer

WHEN I CRY SILENT TEARS

You said this land is ours to keep

Rivers and valleys beneath the skies

You taught me dignity- of sweat and toil

A bonded camaraderie we were as father-son

Undeterred by tomorrow’s worries

Your strong ragged hands from season to season

In patient care turned wastelands from grey to green

Till your body was drained of strength

Listening to your breathing slowly fading

I cried my silent tears!

In distant horizon the sun was sinking low

When I stood alone by the slow moving river bank

Watching its waters flow with rustling sounds

I wondered if I slip into the water deep

If cold swift currents prevail over me

Would my beloved Afa hurry through the tideway

Swift me up and keep me warm till dawn of light?

Would he perhaps spank me for my reckless way?

Recollecting days of our yesteryears

I cried my silent tears!

The wheel of life was turning its season

When a band of white men with tender skin

Came riding a two-wheeled tonga loaded with goods

Floating in seamless cassock from neck to ankle

Holding tight the Bible in faded leather covers - singing

Hymns of praises, preaching salvation’s good tidings

Rebuking the shrine of my ancestors under the Siju

Wherein my father kneeled to invoke heaven’s blessings

As I watched strangers cut down the holy tree

I cried my silent tears!

My perplexed mind was a churning

When a saffron-clad Sannyasi arrived

With an easy smile behind his unruly moustache

Repeating the holy chants - his eyes loosely closed

Weaving strange stories of gods and goddesses

Placed the Almighty Bathou I worshipped

Among the lower gods of the pantheon

To these my ignorant mind was made to bow

As I resigned grandpa’s ancient faith

I cried my silent tears!

Then corporate men in dark glasses

Came roaring by in speeding shiny cars

On their shoulders hang heavy leather bags

Stuffed with measuring tapes and other gears

In haste arrogance the bossy man gestured

His callous band to seal off my father’s farmland

Without regard for my unabated plea for justice

As my voice was blown away in the winds

Amidst deafening streams of their endless chatters

I cried my silent tears!

In moment of sheer confusion

Wandering across the long winding road

My fury boiling up like the rising blazing sun

I watched in awe tractor men bulldozing

The land I owned for my sustenance

As it has been from generations to generations

Without a care the crew packed to retire

Next day returning for more exploits - As I watched

My virgin land trampled with mindless toxic waste

I cried my silent tears!

O how my heart is overwhelmed with sorrows

I hear love birds singing sad songs in the spring

I see young lads sitting on rubbles with aimless stare

Reliving treasured memories of many generations

All lay buried under uprooted giant Bunyan tree

My mind is restless as my justice hang in the balance

Deepening shadows of tomorrow’s uncertainties

Loom about like an unwelcome thief in the night

Overburdened with quiet despair

I cry my silent tears!

As darkness unfolds my starry blue skies

In the hush of night I lay me down exhausted

Watching slow moving clouds through my roof-holes

My eyes wells up with tears of my wounded soul

A stirring turns my attention towards Bisi on my side

Her gentle arms wrap ‘round my infant child

While in her broken dreamless sleep

Her sighs turn to prayer like a whisper for mercy

Warming my heart with rekindled spirit

I cry my silent tears!

Note: Afa= father; Tonga = two wheeled horse-drawn carriage used for transport in India; Siju = cacti tree, symbol of the Almighty Bathou (God of creation); Besi = beloved wife

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is an esteemed platform for writers to express their creativity and insights through the written word. This competition invites participants to explore diverse themes and styles, offering a space for artistic voices to be heard and appreciated. It continues to celebrate the power of storytelling and the beauty of language in connecting people across cultures and experiences.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Akumla Longkumer for her poignant contribution, "When I Cry My Silent Tears," to the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her evocative portrayal of personal and cultural narratives enriches the tapestry of voices represented in this competition. We are grateful for her participation and the depth her words bring to this creative platform.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.