Kemtuk's Take On Peace Poem by Kimberly Burnham

Kemtuk is a Nimboran language of Indonesia
spoken some 80 kilometers southwest
of the provincial capital, Jayapura
with three dialects Kemtuk, Iwalom, and Ikuoy

We have an interesting take on peace
no one remembers the single word for peace
but 'Nenemyakay' means everlasting peace
and we say 'Nenemyakay-a, mot ey mea susuing'
may everlasting peace be with you
and we mean it
we can see into the future and have faith
in the goodness of the people around us

'Kebui' is something that brings peace
we each can do this
bring peace to this land and to the people
under the skies above us
and while 'Nebut sok' is quarrel
the opposite
'Nebut sok itak go dabui-a se iti'
is to stop quarreling and make peace
it is as simple and terrifying as that
we stop quarreling so we can make peace
peace together in these mountains
on this island where we live together

'Ngengam' means living in peace
we have a saying 'Walop pla go, yap tenglam ngengam ba lo se suing'
if they want to have a party together, families have to live in peace
again it is simple we look at what we want the most
often we need peace to get it
'ngengam-yakay' is translated peace and happiness
as if peace is not possible without living it
and happiness too
comes from living into a happy place
we say, 'Motnang ngengam-yakay no se susuing'
live peacefully and happy
commanded by our very language
live peacefully and happy

'Ngleng' is deeply asleep, resting peacefully
specifically we say 'Ku yam nogo unenmin
temoy no mo ngleng-sing'
is our way of saying 'around two or three o'clock in the afternoon
everybody is resting peacefully
literally at mother's breast
we relate to each other
we feed and comfort each other

'Wali yelung' is a description of a life that continues on
made clear with a river metaphor
'Dabui iti go tang so, wali yelung mea kok'
our life will stream peacefully like a river, because of faith
we have faith in the kindness of community
of the warmth of people who are related to our kin
and strangers to us on this earth
learning as we stay
'Motnang ngengam-yakay no se susuing'