Literary Vibes - Edition CXXXIV (27-Oct-2023) - POEMS
Title : Wings of Poesy (Picture courtesy Ms. Latha Prem Sakya)
Prof. Latha Prem Sakya a poet, painter and a retired Professor of English, has published three books of poetry. MEMORY RAIN (2008), NATURE AT MY DOOR STEP (2011) - an experimental blend, of poems, reflections and paintings ,VERNAL STROKE (2015 ) a collection of all her poems. Her poems were published in journals like IJPCL, Quest, and in e magazines like Indian Rumination, Spark, Muse India, Enchanting Verses international, Spill words etc. She has been anthologized in Roots and Wings (2011), Ripples of Peace ( 2018), Complexion Based Discrimination ( 2018), Tranquil Muse (2018) and The Current (2019). She is member of various poetic groups like Poetry Chain, India poetry Circle and Aksharasthree - The Literary woman, World Peace and Harmony)
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the 134th edition of LiteraryVibes. I am happy to present to you some exceptionally beautiful poems and a few interesting stories and other articles. I request you to read the LV134 along with the special Puja edition published on Vijaya Dashami, the 24th October, just three days back. That scintillating edition has 12 wonderful stories, each better than the other. So, combined with LV134, we have before us a virtual literary bonanza. I hope you will like these offerings. LiteraryVibes carries the dreams of many poets and writers, eager to bring ripples of joy to the readers. Let's hope and pray their dreams get fulfilled.
Through LV134 I want to introduce the literary facet of Dr. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, one of the most eminent neuro-surgeons in the country, who had a distinguished career as Porfessor and Head of The Department of Neuro Surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi. Subsequently he set up the AIIMS at Bhubaneswar as its first Director, then acted as Vice Chancellor at the Sums Medical University. Currently he is the principal advisor at the same Institute. On many days of the month he is invited by organisations, schools, colleges, universities from all over Odisha to deliver lectures on healthy living and on different aspects of purity of life as taught by our ancient sages and modern philosophies like Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Chinmayananda. On my request he has contributed an article on "How to Lead A Healthy Life", which I have put in a separate link at https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/509 to facilitate discussion and comments on the topic. We have a similar arrangement with Dr. Gangadhar Sahoo, the prolific Gyaencologist who has been contributing highly educative and interesting articles to LV for the last couple of years. His episode-based article for LV134 can be accessed at https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/508
In this edition we are lucky to welcome Ms. Anindita Bose from Kolkata who has a muti-faceted and multi-talented literary personality. Her brilliant poem in today's edition shows why she has received nrmerous accolades and recognition from India and abroad. Ms. Avantika Vijay Singh from New Delhi is also a celebrity in her own right and I am sure the readers will enjoy her two beautiful poems with equal fervour. Mr. Krishna Walikar a literary enthusiast from Bangalore, Karnataka, has collaborated with Ms. Sudipta Mishra, one of our hugely talented poets to write a poem of exquisite beauty. Let us welcome all of them to the family of LiteraryVibes and wish them tons of success in their literary journey. We have also carried the translation of an eminent Odia writer Late Shri Manoj Kumar Panda, who is no more with us. We are thankful to Ms. Snehprava Das to bless LV with one of his writings.
October is the month of beginning of festivities, right from Dussehra, through Kartik Purnima, Deepavali to Christmas and New Year. We all revelled in our own way in celebrating Durga Puja. In our small town of Bhubaneswar we went round to witness majestic mandaps, resplendent with dazzling images of gods and goddesses. The overflowing crowd was electrifying everywhere, ecstatic with a celebratory mood, the music in the mandaps was mesmerising, the decorations in the streets and outside the mandaps were eye-catching. Midnight tours were more satisfying, the lightings and decorations adding an extraordinary charm to the festive spirit. LV134 carries a few poems and articles on Goddess Durga as a tribute to her.
October is also the month to celebrate the birth anniversary of two of the greatest sons of India - Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation and Lal Bahadur Shastri, the diminutive giant of a leader of a great nation. I thought the best way to commemorate them is to remember some of what they had said. Here are a few gems from these immortal leaders:
Mahatma Gandhi
-
“The future depends on what we do in the present.”
-
“It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone.”
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“Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.”
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“Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.”
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“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”
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“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.”
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“Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation.”
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“Strength does not come from winning. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
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“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.”
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“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.”
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“Seek not greater wealth, but simpler pleasure; not higher fortune, but deeper felicity.”
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“Be the change you are trying to create.”
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“There are two days in the year that we can not do anything, yesterday and tomorrow.”
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“In doing something, do it with love or never do it at all.”
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“There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.”
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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
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“Those who know how to think need no teachers.”
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“What barrier is there that love cannot break?”
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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
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“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
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“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
-
“Do not judge others. Be your own judge and you will be truly happy. If you try to judge others, you are likely to burn your fingers.”
-
“Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.”
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“A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.”
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“They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.”
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“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
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“Truth without humility would be an arrogant caricature.”
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“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
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“For me, the different religions are beautiful flowers from the same garden, or they are branches of the same majestic tree. Therefore, they are equally true, though being received and interpreted through human instruments are equally imperfect.”
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“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
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“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.”
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“You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.
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“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
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“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”
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“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.”
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“Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth.”
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“I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. I would rather have India resort to arms in order to defend her honor than that she should, in a cowardly manner, become or remain a helpless witness to her own dishonor. But I believe that nonviolence is infinitely superior to violence, forgiveness is more manly than punishment.”
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"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
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"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
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"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
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"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
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"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.
Lal Bahadur Shastri
- “We believe in freedom, freedom for the people of each country to follow their destiny without external interference.”
- “We can win respect in the world only if we are strong internally and can banish poverty and unemployment in our country”
- “India will have to hang down her head in shame if even one person is left who is said in any way to be untouchable.”
- “I had always been feeling uncomfortable in my mind about giving advice to others and not acting upon it myself.”
- “Our country has often stood like a solid rock in the face of common danger, and there is a deep underlying unity which runs like a golden thread through all our seeming diversity.”
- "The preservation of freedom, is not the task of soldiers alone. The whole nation has to be strong".
- "True democracy or the swaraj of the masses can never come through untruthful and violent means".
- "We all have to work in our respective spheres with the same dedication, the same zeal and the same determination which inspired and motivated the warrior on the battle front. And this has to be shown not by mere words, but by actual deeds".
- "That loyalty to the country comes ahead of all other loyalties. And this is an absolute loyalty, since one cannot weight it in terms of what one receives".
- "The rule of law should be respected so that the basic structure of our democracy is maintained and further strengthened".
- "There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to go. But for us there need be no difficulty or hesitation, no looking to right or left. Our way is straight and clear—the building up of a socialist democracy at home with freedom and prosperity for all, and the maintenance of world peace and friendship with all nations".
- "Sampling out corruption is a very tough job, but I say so in all seriousness that we would be failing in our duty if we do not tackle this problem seriously and with determination".
The quotes from the two of the greatest sons of India are varied in their scope and depth, but there is no mistaking their intent and focus. Mahatma's sayings are more into personal character-building and motivation where as Shastriji is deeply concerned with strengthening the nation and contributing to global good. They both have a message for the future generations. How far we have followed them or deviated from them is a question that one has to ask himself, in search of inner truth in a real Gandhian way. In the ultimate analysis, we are answerable to our conscience and to our image in the mirror.
Hope you will enjoy the offerings in LV134. Please do share the following links with your friends and contacts:
https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/507 (Special Pooja Edition)
https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/510 (Young Magic)
https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/511 (Short Stories, Anecdotes, Travelogues)
https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/512 (Poems and Book Review)
Wish you a happy festive season. Do take care. We will meet again with the 135th edition on 24th November, the last Friday of next month.
With warm regards
Mrutyunjay Sarangi
Editor, LiteraryVibes.
Table of Contents :: POEMS
01) Prabhanjan K. Mishra
THE PERIWINKLE
02) Haraprasad Das
GOD IN THE MOUNTAIN-PASS (GHAATIRE ISHWARA)
03) Dilip Mohapatra
A DOGGEREL
04) Abani Udgata
NOT A POEM
05) Jairam Seshadri
EVERYWOMAN Part 17
06) Hema Ravi
I WISH I HAD ANSWERS
07) Madhumathi. H
WINGS...
08) Anindita Bose
DESTINY'S CHILD
09) Avantika Vijay Singh
FROM A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER
THE LEGEND OF THE HARSHRINGAR/ SHIULI/ PARIJAT
10) Krishna Walikar & Sudipta Mishra
MAA NAVA DURGA.
11) Pradeep Biswal
DANCING DAYS
12) Arupananda Panigrahi
MR. MYSTERIOUS (PARICHAYA)
13) Dr. Molly Joseph M
END GAME...
14) Snehaprava Das
EIGHT SHORT POEMS
15) Setaluri Padmavathi
GRASSY PATH
16) Leena Thampi
UNPOSTED LETTERS
17) Ravi Ranganathan & Saranya Francis.
NURTURE NUANCES OF NAVRATHRI CULTURE
18) Sharanya Bee
LURING
19) Sujata Dash
THE FALL SEASON
20) Sujata Dash
BRAVEHEART
21) Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick
LUNGS OF THE EARTH
22) Arpita Priyadarsini
A TENANT'S LIFE
23) Bipin Patsani
DIGGING OUT THE DEAD
PAST PERFECT AND PRESENT INDEFINITE
THE MAHATMA
24) Aneek Chatterjee
TAKE ME TO THE WOODS
25) Pankhuri Sinha
SERVING, NOT EVEN SELLING
26) Meera Rao
MONEY MONEY ALL THE WAY
27) Manjula Asthana Mahanti
GARDEN
28) Anjali Sahoo
WARNING
LET PEACE GROW
29) Sreechandra Banerjee
GREETINGS ON DUSSEHRA
DIWALI GREETINGS
30) Destiny Amakwe
SANCTIMONIOUS ANGELS
31) Gargi Saha
NOTHINGNESS
ASKING FOR...
REALITY
32) Niranjan Barik
A LETTER TO A LAUREATE
33) Nandini Mitra
FOR ONE LAST TIME
34) Mrutyunjay Sarangi
THE BODY
BOOK INTRODUCTION
01) Dilip Mohapatra
UNBRIDLED
Table of Contents :: SHORT STORIES & ANECDOTES
01) Ajay K Upadhyaya, MD
MAGIC OF MUSIC
02) Prabhanjan K. Mishra
LONG SHADOW OF LOVE
03) Ishwar Pati
DISASTER IN THE OFFING
04) Late Manoj Ku. Panda
BEYOND THE MOONLIT SKY
05) Gourang Charan Roul
HIRAKUD DIAMOND RUSH (1988-90)..
06) Madhumathi. H
NOW IS THE TIME...
07) Ashok Kumar Mishra
SOULMATES ( YUGALBANDI)
08) T.V. Sreekumar
WALLS REPEATED
09) Hema Ravi
OLYMPIA’S WASHINGTON STATE CAPITOL...
10) Nitish Nivedan Barik
A LEAF FROM HISTORY: ABOUT THE PRIZE FOR PEACE
11) Sheena Rath
DAY 6
12) Bankim Chandra Tola
LIVE AND LET LIVE
13) Subha bharadwaj .
SANJI MATA
14) Destiny Amakwe
IMPRINTED SCARS
15) Anasuya Panda
DOES SUCCESS HAVE ANY END?
16) Sreechandra Banerjee
SCULPTURE OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE
17) Mrutyunjay Sarangi
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Table of Contents :: YOUNG MAGIC
01) G. Saratha Kamakshi
GREEN WATERFALL
02) Trishna Sahoo
LEADERSHIP CAMP: MY EXPERIENCE
03) Anura Parida
A RAINY WINTER MORNING
POEMS
(For my Peter Pan)
Prabhanjan K. Mishra
Barren fallow earth,
dumped rubble and ruins,
cacti-ridden dry stony soil
oozing thick bitter juice.
The bread basket
for tough men.
Gritty dough,
harsh to palate,
crunchy to teeth,
scraping the gullet.
They subsist on rocks,
sand, and snow.
- Call them
military men, militants;
could be fifth columnists,
terrorists, gorilla-fighters.
Flip the coin – turn up martyrs,
rebels, rarely a Robin Hood,
a Desert Fox Rommel
in a blue moon, in turns, in tosses.
Hold breath, on that craggy soil
blooms a supple periwinkle
by a brook, a relief in the absence
of Krishna’s Kadamba.
It blooms for all,
soft, pink, white and purple.
It doesn’t know terror, fear,
easily withers, on rocks, on soft humus.
Prabhanjan K. Mishra is an award-winning Indian poet from India, besides being a story writer, translator, editor, and critic; a former president of Poetry Circle, Bombay (Mumbai), an association of Indo-English poets. He edited POIESIS, the literary magazine of this poets’ association for eight years. His poems have been widely published, his own works and translation from the works of other poets. He has published three books of his poems and his poems have appeared in twenty anthologies in India and abroad.
GOD IN THE MOUNTAIN-PASS (GHAATIRE ISHWARA)
(Translated by Prabhanjan K. Mishra)
Rambling discussions
throug the night
made us lose
the count of time.
Meanwhile, an unknown hand
had unsheathed a morning
like a shining knife
out of the hill’s waistband.
Yesterday, an unknown hand
had hurled a string of pearls,
in the shape of a constellation of stars,
over our village mustard field?
Our bus was now negotiating
a precarious riverbend.
Once again, uncannily
the selfsame hand
from its hideout,
staying out of sight,
helped us cross safely
the perilous mountain-pass! (END)
Mr. Hara Prasad Das is one of the greatest poets in Odiya literature. He is also an essayist and columnist. Mr. Das, has twelve works of poetry, four of prose, three translations and one piece of fiction to his credit. He is a retired civil servant and has served various UN bodies as an expert.
He is a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including Kalinga Literary Award (2017), Moortidevi Award(2013), Gangadhar Meher Award (2008), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1999) and Sarala Award (2008)”
We all have our days
and nights
our ups and downs
but we all have come a long way
to be where we are today…
No wonder
you have your day too
to rejoice and celebrate
sometimes making me
the old sea dog
envy you
yet spurring me
to go on surpassing me and
do better and better.
And look my friend
why should I leave you alone
and let you lie
if you are sleeping
in the wrong kennel?
You see
the world’s changing
and changing so fast
and you still show
the same old tricks
that bore us now…
When will you
do something new
in sync with
the changing times?
There was a time when
perhaps your bark
was worse than your bite
but when you are faced
with a dog-eat-dog situation
just bark won’t do
a bit of snarl perhaps
and baring of your teeth
could save your skin!
You are so doggone cute
when you are not
raining with cats
but to crown it all
you are the brightest
star
in your celestial avatar
shining
in supreme brilliance
from eternity
to eternity…
Dilip Mohapatra, a decorated Navy Veteran from Pune, India is a well acclaimed poet and author in contemporary English. His poems regularly appear in many literary journals and anthologies worldwide. He has six poetry collections, two non-fictions and a short story collection to his credit. He is a regular contributor to Literary Vibes. He has been awarded the prestigious Naji Naaman Literary Awards for 2020 for complete work. The society has also granted him the honorary title of 'Member of Maison Naaman pour la Culture'. His website may be accessed at dilipmohapatra.com.
And who will believe that
this was never a poem nor
perhaps, meant to be .
A lot of time a step from
shadows leaps to
the center of where
no one belongs.
A familiar photo on table
vanishes lost in thoughts
in the streets of long-gone days.
in search of
those tender mornings in winter
draped in soft yellow.
And the poem that returns
to-day from its search
looks aged, wrinkled ,
dragging its feet across .
Today it will sing
in words that are
shadows of raindrops
falling incessantly on
the meadows in midnight.
Ah! the shadows that
hide so many steps
to the center of where
no one belongs.
This was never a poem
nor perhaps, meant to be.
Abani Udgata lives in Bhubaneswar. Writes poems both in English and Odia. Udgata has been awarded in all-India poetry competitions and published in anthologies. He has been a regular contributor to LV. Email: abaniudgata@gmail.com
Shadowy images,
Wisps of smoke rising
From behind a tall linen triptych,
Framed by solid wooden bars,
Rings of light and dark thoughts encircle
Smoke rings she blows majestically,
Unaware of emeralds hidden in her bosom,
Under dark tunes.
Poor girl! She’s on fire! Thoughts of frenzy ablaze!
She should just be,
She should not even be
Aware of her feminity.
Fear lingers like the smoke rings
Of what she has been told as being true.
Stepping out from behind the triptych,
She demands equality in every room.
She wishes she did not have to take;
For she knows she can only return favours
By growing from within.
Or begone! Look me in the eye
For I am my own woman!
She overcomes moods, seeks solutions.
When a hand given to raise her from the morass,
She suspects ulterior and yet through it all
She seeks to make others glow!
She bounces back, a power ball!
She pulls herself up, takes charge!
Her mother’s milk alone suffices, she tells herself.
Detests having to ask in wonder,
Detests moorings of love.
For I am my own woman!
She could be that now, and more!
She need not wait till grey lines grace.
She must realise she props up another
By being propped by the other.
Taking note, seeing the good, the growth.
So why the fire within that consumes?
She should just be
She should not even be
Aware of her feminity!
Jairam Seshadri is the author of MANTRA YOGA ( 2021 Rupa Publications) WOOF SONGS & THE ETERNAL SELF-SABOTEUR (2019 Partridge) and JESUS SAHASRANAM - THE 1,008 NAMES OF JESUS CHRIST (2018 Authorspress). He is a CPA with an MBA from the US and has worked in the U.S, Canada and England for over 30 years before returning to India to take care of his father.
He founded the India Poetry Circle (IPC)) six years ago, which has seven anthologies to the group’s credit, in addition to two more in the pipeline to be published this year. IPC, through its offshoot, IPC PLAYERS, has also produced and staged several skits, as part of its ‘POETRAMA’© series, including a production of Shakespeare’s MACBETH online. Shakespeare’s KING LEAR will be staged online this Christmas 2022.
Jairam lives in Chennai and can be reached at 9884445498 or jairamseshadri@hotmail.com.
My student and I read in vernacular
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes*
A poignant, true story of friendship, hope
and a message of love and peace.
The devastation of nuclear war explained
Student’s thoughts raced to
the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza...
Will we all die if there is a nuclear war?
I wish I had answers
I just have prayers...
(Sadako’s story in brief: At the end of the World War, on 6th of August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Sadako was around two at that time. She grew up into a healthy girl, and she loved to run. Enthusiastic Sadko practiced running hard to get into the junior high team. Unfortunately, she began getting spells of dizziness and collapse. At the hospital, her illness was diagnosed to be the ‘atom bomb disease’ or leukemia. Her world came crashing upon her. During her stay at the hospital, her best friend Chizuko brought a golden paper crane and several pieces of paper. She told Sadako that according to an old folk tale if a sick person folded a thousand paper cranes, the gods would make them healthy again. With hope in her heart, Sadako started making paper cranes, while in and out of hospitals, she completed only 600+ cranes. Following her death, her friends made the remaining cranes in order that she could be buried with all 1000. Sadako’s friends desired to do something for her, collected funds and after several years, managed to build a monument to honor her and the others. In 1958, (three years after Sadako’s death), a statue of Sadako was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park. The girl with arms outstretched held a golden paper crane.)
Hema Ravi is a poet, author, reviewer, editor (Efflorescence), independent researcher and resource person for language development courses... Her writings have been featured in several online and international print journals, notable among them being Metverse Muse, Amaravati Poetic Prism, International Writers Journal (USA), Culture and Quest (ISISAR), Setu Bilingual, INNSAEI journal and Science Shore Magazine. Her write ups and poems have won prizes in competitions.
She is the recipient of the Distinguished Writer International Award for excellence in Literature for securing the ninth place in the 7th Bharat Award, conducted by www.poesisonline.com. In addition, she has been awarded a ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ for her literary contributions by the Gujarat Sahitya Academy and Motivational Strips on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day (2020) and again. conferred with the ‘Order of Shakespeare Medal’ for her writing merit conforming to global standards.(2021). She is the recipient of cash prizes from the Pratilipi group, having secured the fourth place in the Radio Romeo Contest (2021), the sixth place in the Retelling of Fairy Tales (2021), the first prize in the Word Cloud competition (2020) and in the Children’s Day Special Contest (2020). She scripted, edited, and presented radio lessons on the Kalpakkam Community Radio titled 'Everyday English with Hema,' (2020) a series of lessons for learners to hone their language skills. Science Shore Magazine has been featuring her visual audios titled ‘English Errors of Indian Students.’
A brief stint in the Central Government, then as a teacher of English and Hindi for over two decades, Hema Ravi is currently freelancer for IELTS and Communicative English. With students ranging from 4 to 70, Hema is at ease with any age group, pursues her career and passion with great ease and comfort. As the Secretary of the Chennai Poets’ Circle, Chennai, she empowers the young and the not so young to unleash their creative potential efficiently.
A crisp blue Sky
Nonchalant breeze
Sun-tinted glistening leaves...
Threads of silence woven as a bridge
She let her dreams walk upon
To reach another Sky
An unknown land
Where might sprout, her new wings
To fly, drift, and soar...
Dissolving the sighs
And becoming the joy, moment after moment...
A bilingual poet-writer(Tamil, English), Madhumathi. H is an ardent lover of Nature, Poetry, Photography, Music. Her poems are published in Anthologies of The Poetry Society(India), CPC- Chennai Poetry Circle's EFFLORESCENCE, IPC's(India Poetry Circle) Madras Hues Myriad Views, Amaravati Poetic Prism 2015, and in e-zines UGC approved Muse India, IWJ - International Writers Journal, Positive Vibes - LiteraryVibes, Storizen, Science Shore, OPA – Our Poetry Archives. e-Anthologies Monsoon moods - Muse India, Green Awakenings - On Environment, by Kavya-Adisakrit.
Ignite Poetry, Breathe Poetry, Dream Poetry, Soul shores that have 10 of her poems published, Soul Serenade, Shades of Love-AIFEST, Arising from the dust, Painting Dreams, Shards of unsung Poesies, are some of the Anthologies her poems, and write ups are part of. (2020 to 2022). Besides Poetry, Madhumathi writes on Mental health, to create awareness, break the stigma, believing in the therapeutic, transformational power of words. Contact: madhumathi.poetry@gmail.com :: Blogs: https://madhumathipoetry.wordpress.com :: http://madhumathikavidhaigal.blogspot.com/?m=1
Sometimes some of us
are exit doors for others
when people are stuck
in their own fate and dreams
yet they want to break free
and win another chance
to have a different life
to have a new start
to meet strangers
to reach strange lands
to weave a fresh story
an identity to survive amidst
the destiny that was given at
birth.
And some of us are born to
become exit doors for people
who are struggling to end the
old
and begin parallel worlds
within the existence of their
own.
The exit doors are strong,
we are without desires since
we have one ultimate hope :
to bring peace in human life.
We break their fears
we make their paths
we give them goals
we build their ways
and then one day they can
rebuild their lives, reach new
shores and call themselves
destiny's child.
Anindita Bose’s 'I-Know-the-Truth-of-a-Broken-Mirror' (Writers-Workshop-2018), ‘illuminate-darkness-the-fireflies’ (Raa-Publication- 2020) and short stories collection ‘words-breathe-in-silence’ (Ukiyoto-2022) are widely acclaimed. Co-edited Dynami-Zois [Life Force] (Virasat-Art-Publication). Independent scriptwriter of short film, Anubhobe (2020). An academician and a translator of several Bengali books written by popular authors from Kolkata.
Co-founder of Rhythm-Divine-Poets
Editor of EKL-Review
Program Manager of Chair Poetry Evenings, Kolkata’s International-Poetry-Festival
She mentors people for Study Abroad Programs.
She was invited and felicitated by PachimBanga Bangla Akademi at Kavita Utsav, 2023.
FROM A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER
Avantika Vijay Singh
I went to sleep seeing the colour Olive green,
Decorated with polished medals in between.
Shining black boots in which one could see one’s face,
Standing right beside the uniform in place.
I woke up seeing the stars,
On my horizon – my father's shoulders.
And felt such pride in the green,
For a soldier's daughter I have been.
To the borders he would often go,
Tramping in sub-zero temperatures through the white snow.
I loved the purple mountains,
For up and down them he walked sure-footed and certain.
From him I got to love the cerulean blue,
Which was his canopy and mine too.
I felt such supreme happiness within,
For a soldier's daughter I have been.
Alone in the camouflaged bunkers he would be,
Amidst the ochre sand with no shade of a tree,
Vigilant and ever on the lookout,
For unscrupulous elements on his route,
As he breathed in the sight grand,
Brilliant colours of sunset awash on the sand.
Imbibed from him, I have the colours of solitude unseen,
For a soldier's daughter I have been.
And when there was a war,
With the battle cry I have known him to roar.
But trepidation have I known,
For he loved the tiranga full blown,
While I feared it wrapped on a box clean.
For a soldier's daughter I have been.
THE LEGEND OF THE HARSHRINGAR/ SHIULI/ PARIJAT
(i)
Stars on the ground
In delicate whiteness abound
With hearts of saffron
That fall to the morning sun.
At sun down
When the world winds down
They breathe out a sweetness
Infusing the night with a richness.
In the darkness of the night
They bloom uncrowned
And, with the first stroke of light
They fall to the ground.
What humility is this?
That allows them not the bliss
To glow in the glory of their bloom
To relish their hour of perfection.
Do we have it in us
To bloom unseen?
To seek not the harsh light
And to surrender in abject humility?
(ii)
In the Hindu scriptures, the birth of the Parijat tree finds mention
Between the Asurs (demons) and the Gods there was great tension.
The Gods losing in battle each time with the powers of the Asurs in ascension
To Lord Vishnu, the Gods hied for a solution.
The Lord advised drinking Amrit that lay at the bottom of the ocean
But gaining the Amrit from its location
Required the strength of the Asurs in a wily intervention
And, thus, was devised the Samundra Manthan or churning of the ocean.
Mount Mandara was the churning rod and Lord Shiva’s serpent the rope in the procession.
Out of the many fruits borne in succession
Was the Parijat tree, a celestial plant that Lord Indra kept in his possession.
On the earth it had no foundation.
(iii)
Once Narada came to Krishna’s habitation
And gave him the Parijat flower to present to his favoured wife in extension.
Between the wives it became a bone of contention
And, Rukmini won the competition.
But Satyabhama, the wife who lost out in this selection
Asked for the tree to be made in her garden an addition
But Indra would have none of this agitation
And, thus, Krishna and Satyabhama stole it into their possession.
Now an enraged Rukmini claimed Krishna’s attention
And asked for the flowers for which she had such intense adoration
Krishna found an amicable solution
Planting the tree in Satyabhama’s garden while the flowers fell in Rukmini’s portion.
And so, the Parijaat tree never stands at attention
Bending gently to shower its flowers in all directions –
The only flowers that can be picked from the ground as convention
To offer to the Gods in devotion.
To this tale there is another interpretation
Of Sri Lakshmi was Rukmini an incarnation
While Satyabhama of Bhu Devi, the earth, was a manifestation
The flowers that fall in Rukmini’s garden represent aspiration
For a divine and spiritual life planted in the earthly mortal’s realisation.
(iv)
Myth has it that there once lived a beautiful princess
Parijat was her name, a name with the fragrance of incense
On the Sun God her love alighted
But, only for a short time could they be united.
For summer increased the Sun God’s intensity
And for the heavens he chose to leave as a necessity
The forsaken Parijat felt quite slighted
And trying to follow him got ignited.
Seeing the Sun God’s grief in extremity
The Gods reincarnated her in another identity.
A plant with pure white flowers, she delighted
In her heart, with the Sun God always united.
She blooms in the night with serenity
The rays of the sun she cannot bear in their intensity
And, when the first rays of the sun are sighted
She forsakes her form and alights, to be with the earth united!
(v)
This ornament of the Gods is a veritable healing portion
Its saffron fires considered in Ayurveda an essential solution
For the fires within our body like digestion.
The boiling of the flowers in water produces an infusion
That gives relief from ailments of non-digestion from piles to constipation.
Similarly, it has an anti-diabetic effect controlling sugar fluctuation.
It also provides relief for throat irritation
And works well for asthma and bronchodilation
Or any other ailments connected with respiration.
The flowers also boost the immuno-regulation
And are a powerful booster for health transformation.
Its leaf extract from joint pains providing an alleviation
As well as improving the complexion.
Is it any wonder then that with all its benefits
It is a celestial plant?
Avantika Vijay Singh is a writer, editor, poet, researcher, and photographer. She is the author of two solo poetry books i.e., Flowing… in the river of life and Dancing Motes of Starlight (her debut ebook). She is the winner of the Nissim International Award Runners Up 2023. She enjoys writing humour too for her blog “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives” in the Times of India.
Krishna Walikar & Sudipta Mishra
Oh Shailaputri, sitting on Nandi's bull,
flower in right hand, trident in left,
Destroyer of evil and ignorance,
Mother of spiritual awakening
I salute Thee with folded hands.
Oh, Ma! Thou are an embodiment of the divine trinity
Within thou, I can behold my lords Brahma, Bishnu and Maheswara
Oh! Bramhacharini donned in white saree,
representing purity, knowledge, remover of
selfishness, improving our inherent virtues
such as restraint, dispassion, and renunciation.
Holding Rosery beads in right hand and a utensil with water in left hand,
Oh, Ma, you show us the path of penance and abstinence
Oh! Chandraghanta, destroyer of evil tendencies,
demonic powers, bad spirits, always ready to destroy
injustice, having her third eye ever open
keeping watchful eyes on destructive forces to curb it.
Oh, Goddess of divine energy
By adorning the crescent moon on thy forehead,
You threaten the evil ones to punish them with severity!
With thy sublime face, as a mother, you look at me, Ma!
Oh! Kushmanda Devi, creator of Universe
with Your divine smile, the incarnation of warmth,
Cosmic Energy, creation, and preservation of the world,
the fourth aspect of Nava Durga Maa, and Mahadevi.
Oh, Ma, with a glorious warmth for the Universe
You ride on a lion
By keeping the strength to destroy the civilization
You enlighten the ignorant ones
Oh!Skundamata, Goddess of Motherhood,
Love, luck, prosperity and good fortune
to your devotees, whose well-being Thou
always protect with Thy benign grace and love.
Perched on a lotus flower,
Oh, ma! You are the maker of the Universe
With your auspicious arrival, your kids like me feel empowered
Oh!Katyayani Devi, Goddess of Power,
Slayer of tyrannical Mahishasura, and remover
of negative energy, and all hurdles in the path of
progress of devotees, a Benign Mother peace.
Oh, Ma, you are the epitome of love and compassion
You have arrived to release the poor souls
With your fierce clamor
Oh, ma, let the wrongdoers fade away into the dungeon
Oh! Kalaratri, Goddess of Fiercer Form,
depicting the dark side of human life on earth
Slayer of Chanda, Munda, and Raktabeejashura,
demonic one called Chamundeshwari.
Oh, Ma, you liberate the downtrodden
With a calm mind, let me rest
To emancipate the oppressed ones
With long hair, and eyes of fire
My Goddess is present like a savior
Oh!Mahagauri, Goddess of Abayahastini,
fair complexioned, pure and divine,
protector of devotees with a blessing gesture.
Graciously you adorn the pandals
Your gleaming eyes render me peace, oh ma Durga
Seated on a bull
You offer unconditional blessings to thy worshippers
Oh! Siddidatri, Goddess of Learning, Wisdom
and the epitome of spiritual knowledge, another form
of Maa Saraswati, Goddess of Wisdom
Oh, Ma you ever present in a blissful ecstasy
By worshiping thou,
Your devotees gain superpower
Oh, ma, may all the maladies from earth be cured
With thine presence
Your benign presence is
Dispersing the darkness of ignorance and spreading enlightenment.
Maa Durga is the epitome of feminine strength, prowess
and invincible against any wickedness and power
Let our women imbibe
Her traits inflict shattering
blow on her tyrant, molester, and perpetrators.
May every woman be awakened by the indomitable courage
May she be transformed into a divine energy
Let her nurture the diva within
Krishna Walikar, a public servant who hails from Karntaka has dedicated his time to writing poetry in English for various International Poetry Groups and earned about seven hundred eighty awards for his works Excellent poetry. He got from the prestigious Genesis World Writers Community, Life Time Gold Badge Award for his Excellent poetry.
Last year he got the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi award in collaboration with Motivational Strips.
His poems are published in Words Renaissance web magazines, in the anthology of Gogyokha, and Bharat Vision international webpage.His many poems are spiritually inspiring.
Sudipta Mishra is a multi-faceted artist and dancer excelling in various fields of art and culture. She has co-authored more than a hundred books. Her book, 'The Essence of Life', is credited with Amazon's bestseller. Her next creation, 'The Songs of My Heart' is scaling newer heights of glory. Her poems are a beautiful amalgamation of imagery and metaphors. She has garnered numerous accolades from international organizations like the famous Rabindranath Tagore Memorial, Mahadevi Verma Sahitya Siromani Award, an Honorary Doctorate, and so on. She regularly pens articles in newspapers as a strong female voice against gender discrimination, global warming, domestic violence against women, pandemics, and the ongoing war. She is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in English. Her fourth book, Everything I Never Told You is a collection of a hundred soulful poems. Currently, she is residing in Puri.
Those days
In a sleepy village
Surrounded by nature
In full bloom
The stream flowing nearby
I cherish today.
Bullocks running
On the dusty roads
The evening bells ringing
In the temple premises
The morning prayer
In the school
Still reverberate
In my ears.
The moon and stars
Shining bright
In the open sky
Dispelling darkness
Of the night
Missing in the metro city.
Life has come
A full circle
The childhood memories
Lurking inside
I cherish those
Dancing days
In my midnight dreams
Mr. Pradeep Biswal is a bilingual poet writing both in Odia and English. His poems are widely anthologized. He is also an editor and translator of repute. A retired IAS Officer, Mr. Biswal presently holds the position of Member, Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority and stays with his family at Bhubaneswar. Views are Personal
(Translated by Prabhanjan K. Mishra.)
Shouldn’t you be more friendly
with the crocodile in a river
if you live by that riverbank?
Wouldn’t it sound rude asking
the visitor his name, address and purpose
as soon as he comes along?
Of course, caution is your hallmark,
a householder, you can’t trust
a stranger in your neighborhood.
You may soften your inquiries like –
“Are you passing by this area, brother,
to some other place? Another destination?”
A neighbor may whisper
in your ear, “Take care man,
the stranger could be a robber.”
“He may walk away stealthily
with the women’s clothes drying outdoors
that might risk your household dignity.”
“Imagine women without their clothes!
Wouldn’t their honor be questioned
and gossiped like that of Gopis of Dvapara?”
A well-wisher may caution,
“The fellow could be an imposter,
may steal cattle from your shed.”
But by the next morning,
you find him gone; leaving harmless
footmarks and rubbing on the wet sand;
looking like the blurred smears
of a slithering big reptile
as it drags itself into the river.
The harmless stranger is gone, he still
unknown despite telltale marks left behind.
You accuse yourself to have suspected him. (END)
Arupananda Panigrahi is a senior Odia poet, his poems mostly rooted in Odisha’s native soil; has four collections to his credit; he writes his poems in a spoken tradition in an idiom unique to his poetry. Sprinkled with mild irony, his poems subtly closet at their cores the message of hope even at the moment of proverbial last straw of despair. (email add – arupanadi.panigrahi@gmail.com)
How can I map
the struggle of a spirit straddling between life and death...
yes, had been to hospital to see the sore end, the parting edge
of a dynamic life,
a candle that cackled its fire
in flutters and ebullience, once up on a time...
for breath, the elixir
of life, he was struggling,
when his lungs turned dysfunctional,
too infected to absorb the oxygen given...
his dear ones obliged his wish
to be brought out of ICU, and
not to be put into the
ventilator...
hah! at least in his room, though, lost in
the hazardous act of plowing off,
the blockage of breath for survival
with faded vision, eyes rolling off,
at least he can sense the presence
of his dear and near around...
much, much better than
passing off, fighting death alone as an alien in Ventilator that smothers...
his wife sits near, holding his hands, whispering 'I am with you
remember the vow we took at wedding
we will be company to each other,
through thick and thin
till the end, this side of the grave, its fag end
where everything fritters away..."
even the stressed out body was set at ease
when she uttered these words of solace.
but alas! the body convulses again... breathing in, breathing out..heaving in,
heaving out...
I watch
this end game
of life...
how we turn, shivering
withered husks of a seed
when the soul struggles to escape
from its caged self...
the blocked cosmic energy within
knocking, knocking to break open and escape
to freedom infinite...
as if from a distance he hears
vague echoes of compulsions, cries,
fond aches of bondings, parting
prayers, vespers that
go up
hovering around...
but the soul has to fly high, fleeing
from the mundane that appears a mirage ...
the inevitable falls
in that uncertain moment
the certainty of this uncertainty
alone we know, as we proceed for making
our unwilling, unavoidable exits!
Dr. Molly Joseph is a Professor, Poet from Kerala, who writes Travelogues, Short stories and Story books for children. She has published twelve books,10 Books of poems, a novel and a Story book for Children. She has won several accolades which include India Women Achiever’s Award 2020. She believes in the power of the word and writes boldly on matters that deal with the contemporary. She can be reached at E mail- mynamolly @gmail.com ; You tube- https://www.youtube.com/user/mynamolly
MEMORY
A candle flickers
In the shadow of a mirror,
congealed tears of time
Trickle hot and thick;
AUTUMN
An autumn leaf
Disengaged from the bough
Drifts in the air,
A forbidden moment floats
In an intimate emptiness;
BIRDS
In a cage with a broken door
A bird sits mute
Lost in the silence of its song;
Another is perched on a bough,
Its wings spread out
Feet stuck in the canvas;
FLOOD
A liquid tongue of gray
Coils around the bamboo clumps,
A sordid skeleton of a mud house
Slants over the hands
Salvaging a sodden future;
WHISPER
A lazy breeze floats
Across the the shadow of the stars
The spray of briny mist
Rustles through the casuarinas
Like a whisper from yesterday;
FOOL
He sits quiet, wordless
Cradling his naivity in a shy embrace
A confused, sensitve soul
Lost amidst a whole lot of
Wise, buzzing minds;
BEGGERS
In side a shrine
Impoverished souls
And their muted invocation,
hungry bowls on its steps,
And a litany of pain,
Out on the democratic streets
Donned in spotless white
Corrupt palms join together
To beg power!
MIRROR
The gulmohar tree by the pond
Wears a forlorn look,
The still water holds
A monk in saffron
muted by voices of the city!
Snehaprava Das, former Associate Professor of English is a noted translator and poet. She has five collections of English poems to her credit Dusk Diary, Alone, Songs of Solitude, Moods and Moments and Never Say No to a Rose)
Splashing across the wet meadow,
I rejuvenated my zeal to see the garden,
Garden that is adorned with flowers
The colourful flowers beneath the leaves!
The grassy flowers appear so beautiful
Pinkish flowers ever spread fragrance
The yellowish petals gently sway
The morning breeze kisses my forehead!
Where can I get such an enthralling feel,
Except amidst plants in these bushes?
Spend not a penny to spend your time
Ignore not the flowers that sing for you!
The green carpet refreshes the mind
The footpath welcomes the pedestrians
Let tender feet dance on the silky road
That leads you to your lovely destiny!
Mrs. Setaluri Padmavathi, a postgraduate in English Literature with a B.Ed., has been in the field of education for more than three decades. Writing has always been her passion that translates itself into poems of different genres, short stories and articles on a variety of themes and topics. She is a bilingual poet and writes poems in Telugu and English. Her poems were published in many international anthologies and can be read on her blogsetaluripadma.wordpress.com. Padmavathi’s poems and other writings regularly appear on Muse India.com. Boloji.com, Science Shore, Setu, InnerChild Press Anthologies and Poemhunter.com
Are you this little pencil in my hand, who's directing me like a compass to the world?
Tucked beneath my pillow lies a crumpled unposted letter,
Asking for a life sans fetters,
In the midst of night when the world is asleep,
I talk to you in poetic verses deep.
Holding the pessimistic version of myself steep,
My hope in you is fading, I can't hear your reassurance voice leading,
The place you used to stand seems vacant or is it my blurry vision misguiding?
When did love become revenge?
Chaos and wars are all i hear
I dare not touch the newspaper near,
Upon my mind is great fear
and anxiety as I worry the future ahead of me dear.
I am a pomegranate without seeds of thought,
I want to gravitate towards you like a plant does to sunlight,
I removed every thorn from the roses of my heart.
Now allow me to bask in the ambiance that's thee and be engulfed in your divine draught .
Inject colour and power into my wings,
Let me soar high without limits.
Consider me like a poetry in a world which is learning alphabets.
Help me sow the seeds of knowledge to grow and enlighten mankind.
Heard that Pen is mightier than sword, but I doubt whether it really strikes a chord,
Surrender the sword
Let's not shed blood,
Pick up the pen splash the ink of zen,
for both can be disastrous in the wrong hands .
I implore thee to detoxify their muddy minds.,
It doesn't matter where on earth I plant my feet,
As long as you are there, i will keep writing letters perpetually without retreat.
Born in Jammu and brought up in Delhi ,Leena Thampi is an articulate writer who's lost in her own little epiphanies and she gives them life with her quill. She's an author extraordinaire with three books to her credit -"Rhythms of a Heart", "Autumn Blaze" and An Allusion To Time'. She has many articles published in India and abroad. She has received many elite accolades from different literary platforms worldwide.
She has been awarded by Gujarat Sahitya Academy and Motivational Strips twice for her best contribution towards literature in the year 2021 and 2022.She was also the recipient of Rabindranath Tagore Memorial literary honours 2022 by Motivational Strips. Her work mixes luminous writing, magical realism, myths, and the hard truths of everyday life. Besides her flair for writing and deep-rooted love for music, she is an Entrepreneur,Dancer,and a Relationship coach She is currently working on her fifth book which is a collection of short stories.
NURTURE NUANCES OF NAVRATHRI CULTURE
Ravi Ranganathan & Saranya Francis.
''Navrathri, our revered culture essayed in nine glorious days'
The Divine mother, as venerated ennead descends - thus legend says...
Centrifugal pull of Durga,Lakshmi,Saraswathi's divine Grace
Showering awe and splendour into each atom & infinite space
Be it in beautifully decorated dolls or glorious 'Garba' dance
Or a humble offering of leaf and nut from poor yet devout hands
Or amidst Mysore's caparisoned elephants victory March with pomp and bands
Matched only by Bengal's flower festoons adorning Takur Ma's pandals, stands.
The Maha Shakti manifests her splendour in million conches that resound,
Her energy vibrates in this mesmeric festive aura of temperate autumn around.
Navaratri in its resplendance reveals devotion to her forms profound,
Evil is defeated good prevails, the Cosmos is renewed with her blessings abound....
Ravi Ranganathan is a writer, critic and a poet from Chennai. Also a retired banker. He has to his credit three books of poems titled “Lyrics of Life” and “Blade of green grass” and “Of Cloudless Climes”. He revels in writing his thought provoking short poems called ‘ Myku’. Writes regularly for several anthologies. His awards include recognition in "Poiesis award for excellence" of Poiesisonline, Sahitya Gaurav award by Literati Cosmos Society, Mathura and’ Master of creative Impulse ‘award by Philosophyque Poetica. He contributes poems for the half yearly Poetry book Metverse Muse . He writes regularly for the monthly webzine “ Literary Vibes” and “ Glomag”.He is the Treasurer of Chennai Poets’ Circle.
Saranya Francis is a multilingual poet, English lecturer, life skills trainer, faculty facilitator and artist. She has to her credit three published anthologies of poetry titled Being Purple, Ambedo and Sonder. She Edited Antargata (2020), Co-edited Confluence I and II, she curates the monthly poetry open mic of Bangalore Poetry Circle. She is the recipient of Star Ambassador of World Poetry at the World Poetry Conference (2019), Bharat Award for Literature (2018) and other such accolades. Saranya Francis is currently an Assistant Professor of English at ST PAULS COLLEGE, Bengaluru and a Part-Time PhD scholar at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Chennai.
How do you move a poem
Hiding behind the curtains like
A shadow afraid of itself
Gnawing at tossed pieces of bread like
A kitten reluctant to pounce closer
Perhaps if I poured malaise instead
Of milk in little bowls
Leading up to my room it may
Hop, crawl or slither
In whatever way its body allows to me
Licking the remnants off its mouth and
Curl into my lap like a mollusk
A conch shell weighing a little more
Turning whiter
With every reverberating confession made
Sharanya Bee, is a young poet from Trivandrum, who is presently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature in Kerala University. She also has a professional background of working as a Creative Intern in Advertising. She is passionate about Drawing and Creative Writing.
I am on cloud nine
cherishing the serene autumnal bliss
and the warmth of bountiful love
that the season has suffused me with
the fall season is both
spectacular and metaphorical to me
it weaves a tapestry of hues
appeases senses soothes soul
invokes subtleties of ' let go' in its offering
with every fall we rise again
like the phoenix of yore
consolidate and walk those extra miles
tracing tales of seventh heaven
and songs of longing
the earth drapes in the frills of
a bevy of colors and bright hues
but not before going through
rigors of incessant rain and ensuing woes
I too bask in the glory of victory
like our mother earth
exude sprightly self and aura
each time my resilience is oppugned.
@sujatadash...
image.png
A modest human clad in loin cloth
made the deft rulers bow down
concede defeat to the commands of
non-violence and love
the gate of ego of the then rulers
creaked and broke off
their vehemence crashed to the ground with a thud
letting in the much awaited freedom
and the long cherished dream of millions
a true brave heart both in letter and spirit
he never shied away from uttering the truth
his ability to face onslaughts
with courage and unblinking stance
fetched him respect and affection of generations
ruling over mind and heart
of young and old alike
he remains a true icon of the nation
exuding aura of simplicity and positive vibe.
Sujata Dash is a poet from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She is a retired banker. She has three published poetry anthologies(More than Mere-a bunch of poems, Riot of hues and Eternal Rhythm-all by Authorspress, New Delhi) to her credit. She is a singer, avid lover of nature. She regularly contributes to anthologies worldwide.
Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick
When the Colorado River basin resembled the lungs of a human.
An award winning drone photography.
Was it only a metaphoric resemblance or was it truly telling us something?
Water, the oxygen of our blue planet.
The dried up tributaries of the river, the capillaries of the lungs.
Oh without oxygen...how will humans live?
Oh without water in the tributaries how will our earth live?
Water depletion due to poor management by humans
Man-made droughts all have added to the drying up of the river.
The basin of the mighty river has reached a point of no return.
Oh humans be aware! Conserve water before a no return point.
Oh humans! Keep the lungs of the Earth alive.
Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick is a scientist, a national scholar transformed into a globally loved, award-winning poet. Her poems have been translated into 40 world languages and she has published 9 books. A globe trotter she loves calling herself a global citizen. Not only does she write poems but she promotes peace poetry, multilingual poetry, global poetry and passionately promotes indigenous poetry. Paramita believes that by promoting indigenous languages, she can bring some endangered languages into the main stream. In 2019, she got the Gold Rose from MS Production, Buenos Aires, Argentina for promotion of Literature and Culture. Apart from many awards like the Sahityan Samman in 2018, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore award in 2019, Poetess of Elegance 2019 and many more she was one of the recipients of the prestigious Panorama International Literature award from Greece in 2022. Paramita is the President and Initiator of the Mumbai Chapter of the Intercultural Poetry and Performance Library (IPPL) and also the Cultural Convenor and Literary Coordinator (West India) of the International Society for Intercultural Studies and Research (ISISAR).
Like a vagabond I roam
Looking for a shore
To which I belong
I walk,smile,sit a certain way
I speak,rest,wake a certain way
My whole identity is wrapped around
With a tag of “a tenant's daughter ”
I bow down my head
To mistakes that didn't occur
I search for peace
In a corner that's not even mine
I look for a home
In a place that can't be my shrine
I move away from being opinionated
With the fear of being rationated
I don't know to which place
I should etch my memories to
Knowing the fact that
I can never return
The same way I used to
Seeing people relive their old days
I sigh and move my face away
I bury my wishes
In a corner
That'll be there for someone else to find
With the constant fear of living a certain way
I wish to be carefree someday
I look at the rented sunshine
That enters my room everyday
Praying for a day
That's all mine
- Elly
Arpita Priyadarsini, a Post Graduate of Department of Statistics in Utkal University, has keen interest in literature. She loves reading fiction and poetry. She started writing poems few years back and has been published by an international publication house twice. Her Instagram handle is @elly__.writes, which is solely dedicated to her love for poetry.
They dig and dig and think it to be very big.
Digging out the dead is not altogether bad,
if such records of human experience
catapult us to creative excellence;
a river in its silent sparkle
reflects the history of the whole
and a mountain in its muteness
becomes an eloquent witness.
The digging can be disastrous,
if with seeming seriousness
and the mystic flavour that it adds,
history in its sensitive sophistry binds us
to the unpleasant side of the past
to be haunted and haunting apparitions
so as to beat around the bush
and rumble on the rubbish.
The high priests of nationalism,
scared of contenders for power and splendour,
foresee threats to their status everywhere,
be it home, treetop or air.
The fanatic world of funk and retaliation
fans the fire of distrust and disdain,
as we roll in intolerance, inhibitions
and the clumsy cobweb of human limitations.
PAST PERFECT AND PRESENT INDEFINITE
(Abridged version of a long poem)
Bipin Patsani
The art of living, sharing, caring for all
and working together for a common goal
is the greatest art mankind must learn,
if at all for its misdeeds it cares to mourn.
Love for freedom, national pride,
sense of loss in an ancient war,
the burden of the past and tradition,
and the animation of the sublime on stones
may help produce the space-shuttle poetry
of some private pleasure, five-star agony
or even in building up some info-tech story.
Awards and honours mean much for the elite;
but the lifestyle of the common people, the pain
and strain they endure is a nation’s true identity.
Why is it that we have plenty of people
who have passions for poetry and politics,
but none to show us some definite direction?
When achievements reduce to be personal,
failure remains to be the collective responsibility
of a people for sheer debate that ends verbal.
Where caste ridden power politics aims at
establishing superiority, the concept of
a welfare state and democracy doesn’t work.
The deprived, victims of false prestige, feel contented
with a gift of lies and stick to image worship
which, they think, can deliver the good.
Thus we sit and wait in the deluxe suite
of our insight looking for some poetic truth
and invest on our intellectual exercise,
aching for some new surprise, new image,
good enough to please, conceal and confuse.
The desperate dreams and defiance
of a simple folk that has always loved
to have a life of its own free from subjugation,
the beautiful landscape, the golden beach
and the mystic silence of the poetic network
of magnificent temples come to my mind
and I smile when they ask me,
“How do your people write so good poetry?”
But when I am asked about starvation deaths
at my place or a mother selling her child
for a handful of rice even after fifty-four years
of Independence,
I feel miserable myself groping for words.
(Composed in 2001 on starvation deaths
at Kashipur/ Kalahandi in Odisha and published
in an old issue of Rock Pebbles)
Not the people who sit and talk,
not even those who go on writing books,
only men of action, men who toil hard
for the emancipation of a nation
or the suffering humanity as a whole,
can judge Gandhi and say
how difficult it is to be one.
Gandhi came as an andhi
and with millions of followers
he walked tall and firm,
for he loved mankind,
he loved humanity
as much as he loved freedom.
And now, when the world is torn
by intolerance and violence,
terrorism being the order of the day,
his love for truth and non-violence,
and mutual respect for justice and dignity
show us the way.
We, in our clumsiness, killed Gandhi.
Whether we agree with him or not,
he will continue to be where he is,
next only to Buddha and Christ;
a bi-product of the Vedic past
and our own contemporary quest.
Let us learn how to spin gold
of goodness and have a firm hold
on the ground so as to live bold.
There is nothing heroic in killing millions
in the name of religious nationalism.
The ultimate goal of civilization
is not a country or crusade
to test-fire and launch madness
in the orbit of an imaginary heaven,
but a culture of love and compassion
for which we can feel proud to be human.
Bipin Patsani (b. 1951) has published poems in many prestigious journals and poetry anthologies including Indian Literature, Chandrabhaga, Journal of Indian Writing in English, Indian Scholar, Kavya Bharati, Poetcrit, International Poetry and Prophetic Voices etc. He has been translated to Spanish and Portuguese. He has three poetry collections to his credit (VOICE OF THE VALLEY, ANOTHER VOYAGE and HOMECOMING). He is a recipient of Michael Madhusudan Academy Award/ 1996 and Rock Pebbles National Award in 2018. He did his Post Graduation in English at Ravenshaw College, Cuttack in 1975 and served as a teacher in Arunachal Pradesh for 34 years till his superannuation in 2012. He also received Arunachal Pradesh State Government’s Award in 2002 for his dedicated service as a teacher. He lives with his family at Barunei Colony, Badatota in Khordha District of Odisha, India.
Butterflies, take me to the woods.
Butterflies, take me to the
undiscovered river.
Freed me from the cobwebs
of absurd thoughts. Take me
with you.
Butterflies, splash colors
in me: blue, yellow, red, green,
violet, white and
many more.
Butterflies, plant your
wanderer inside me.
In exchange, I will give you
music, poetry, ecstasy
and agony. I’ll surrender my id,
my ladder.
Color them according to your
wish. I’m sure, I’ll hear some
new music, fresh and unheard syllables
of unknown poetry.
Aneek Chatterjee is a poet and academic from Kolkata, India. He has published more than five hundred poems in reputed literary magazines and poetry anthologies across the globe. He authored 16 books including four poetry collections titled, “Seaside Myopia” (Cyberwit, 2018), “Unborn Poems and Yellow Prison” (Cyberwit, 2019), “Of Ashes and Persiflage” (Hawakal, 2020) and “Archive Avenue” (Cyberwit, 2022). He also co-edited the “Poetry Conclave Year Book 2022” (Authors Press). Dr. Chatterjee received the prestigious “Alfredo Pasilono Memorial Panorama International Literary Award 2023”, conferred by the Writers Capital Foundation. He was a Fulbright Visiting faculty at the University of Virginia, USA and a recipient of the ICCR Chair (Govt. of India) to teach abroad. His poetry has been archived at Yale University. He can be reached at: akchatjee@gmail.com
Serving, not even selling
Poetry to those whose
Biggest goal is to buy
Dinner in the best newest
Hotel, in town, and mind you
Endless and infinite
Numbers of hotels are springing
In all parts
Of my town!
Even where a tree stood
The last big Gulmohar
And all other trees
For that matter!
No longer does Jamun bloom
Or butterflies dance
The side-street an empty
Hollow, in Leechi town!
Why don’t we plant them?
Compete with cherry blossoms
Strawberry harvest!?
Ah! The rich soil
Of the Leechi land
Lies fallow! Overpowered
By concrete dreams!
There is a new cafe
A new eatery, with
Neon signs shining
Bright, announcing
Boldly, come eat
Rejoice and dance!
A new cloth store
For all occassions!
All is gay and charm!
Who are these people
Crying for the gone seasons?
Uprooted trees?
Who are these people
Sending out warnings
So underlining harmony
With nature? Asks their gaze!
Questioning those
Attempting to serve poetry
To the happy crowd
Out for festival shopping!
Pankhuri Sinha is a bilingual poet, story writer and translator from India. Two poetry collections published in English, two story collections published in Hindi, six poetry collections published in Hindi, and many more are lined up. Has been published in many journals, anthologies, home and abroad. Has won many prestigious, national-international awards, like the Girija Kumar Mathur Award, Chitra Kumar Shailesh Matiyani Award, Seemapuri Times Rajeev Gandhi Excellence Award, First prize for poetry by Rajasthan Patrika, awards in Chekhov festival in Yalta and in Premio Besio Poetry competition in Italy, Sahitto award in Bangladesh, and Premio Galateo in Italy for poetry in mother tongue. Has been translated in over twenty seven languages.
She has studied in Delhi University, Symbiosis Pune, SUNY Buffalo, and the University of Calgary, Canada. She has worked in various positions as a journalist, lecturer and a content editor. Has done writing residencies in Hungary and Bulgaria, and attended the Tranas Literature Festival in Sweden.
Money is honey
My dear Sonny
A rich man’s joke is always funny
It continues to be so honey
It is money, money, all the way
Whether you live or not in the Bay
Money has the final Say
And it makes your Day.
It has power to move mountains
And drop from the Fountains
Of the stinking rich
Who sing to heir own Pitch
N. Meera Raghavendra Rao , M.A.in English literature is a freelance journalist, author of 10 books(fiction, nonfiction) a blogger and photographer .Her 11th. is a collection of 50 verses titled PINGING PANGS published in August 2020. She travelled widely within and outside the country.She blogs at :justlies.wordpress.com.
Our mind is fertile garden
Each moment, flowers of thought blossom
We can take care of it, as a skillful gardener
Or can let it die, with the acid of doubt, anger
Our volunteer choice it is
If we allow them to flourish, desired results
As they get full opportunity to bloom
They can enrich your attitude
As beautiful flowers enhance the charm of garden
If we ignore, amazing thoughts will die
Garden will be ruined barron,
Confused mind
If we continue with gardening various ongoing thoughts
We come to observe plants of thoughts, better
If await with love, trust, patience
Smiling buds will embrace Sunrays soon
Faith, care in efforts, makes capable of
Allowing another opportunity to renew efforts
Allow the garden of life smile at you
Bring Forth colorful flowers of thoughts
Which sing in harmony and happy cheers
Win over your mind before mind overpowers you
Let not whither new flowers of thoughts
Those bloomed flower thoughts can change life
Can put at the top of understanding, success
Rich thoughts glow persona as
Attractive garden is treat for the eyes,
As a thing of beauty , is joy forever....
Manjula Asthana Mahanti is a post graduate in Sociology and Hindi. Her Graduation was in English honors. She is a Sangeet Prabhakar (vocal) and has done her B. Ed. She worked in a college as Senior Lecturer. Her last assignment was that of a high school Principal. She lives in Forest Park, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India.
She is a published trilingual poet, author, editor, translator and story teller. She has eight collections to her credit along with a long list of participation in national, international anthologies, e-magazines, etc. She is a recipient of several national, international awards, Samman Gujarat and Telangana sahitya akademy award amongst many more. Her recent award was "Icons of Asia"
(To All War Mongers)
Anjali Sahoo
Look!
There lies a bottomless abyss,
Completely war-born,
Into which
A so-called powerful world slides,
Being swallowed up,
Day by day;
Let’s cover the opening up
At least,
With wire netting!
Let peace grow
Even in the harshest weather,
Like a desert lily,
Thriving in between the spaces
Under the very hard soil,
Waiting for enough moisture to emerge,
In spite of the mounting challenge
By a world,
Hardened into very solid rock outside!
Anjali Sahoo writes poems both in English and Odia. Her first poetry book A Tryst with Thunder (2021), published by Authors Press, New Delhi, sheds light upon manifold aspects of life. They take the readers to the world of imaginative vibrancy, unearthing hidden mysteries of the world. Her published works include three poetry books and two short stories collections in Odia.
Triumphs the Godly Good over evil,
as Rama vanquishes Ravana, the devil!
Demon Ravana had taken Sita away.
To bring her back, Rama had to pray.
So untimely invocation of the Goddess,
To fight Ravana with blessed prowess!
King Surat invoked the Goddess in spring,
Rama’s untimely autumnal call to fight the Lankan king!
This autumnal invocation revered as Durga Puja,
When Goddess will bless us with Her “Dasho Bhuja”.
Rama had eyes like that of bright blue lotus,
Wanted to give for Puja, he was so focused!
Then before him the Great Goddess appeared,
Blessings bestowed and all obstacles cleared.
Thus, set out Rama and Hanuman troupes to fight,
To conquer demons in a battle of mighty might!
This story performed in Rama-Leela acts today,
Symbolize conquest by Goodness in a dramatic way!
Thus, Durga Puja blesses our lives every year,
With Dussehra comes to an end, a festival so dear.
Garba Dance, Dandiya Raas, Navaratri or Durga Puja,
The Devi has blessed us all with her ‘dasha bhuja’
As reverberates now the farewell beats of drum-dhak,
“Come again next year” we all harmoniously harp!
Hope She has bestowed her blessings on Earth,
to fill our lives with merriment, might and mirth.
(Navaratri and Durga Puja ended recently, and Dussehra was venerated. So, greeting you all On the occasion. In 2021, UNESCO declared Durga Puja as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.)
Rama returns to Ayodhya
from Lanka,
On the New Moon Day,
Celebrated as ‘Deepavali’
in various ways.
So, Diwali greetings to you
That are now due!
May thousand lights
brighten your lives,
With joy everlasting
and ‘tamosh’ retreating.
Light up the ‘Diya’,
perform acts of ‘Karma-kriya’.
May the kindling joy of the twinkling light
embellish the new moon starry night,
and the light waves causing
the holy union of heaven and earth,
spatially many many light-years apart,
and the effect is rejuvenating.
Sreechandra Banerjee is a Chemical Engineer who has worked for many years on prestigious projects. She is also a writer and musician and has published a book titled “Tapestry of Stories” (Publisher “Writers’ Workshop). Many of her short stories, articles, travelogues, poems, etc. have been published by various newspapers and journals like Northern India Patrika (Allahabad), Times of India, etc. Sulekha.com has published one of her short stories (one of the awardees for the month of November 2007 of Sulekha-Penguin Blogprint Alliance Award) in the book: ‘Unwind: A Whirlwind of Writings’.
There are also technical publications (national and international) to her credit, some of which have fetched awards and were included in collector’s editions
Heads up,chin high
They potter around,
With their heads lying in the cloud,
Chasing rainbows.
Toiling their hands in clay,
In a bid to mend a broken pot,
Never had they seen a potter's house.
How quickly they forget, they were made of earth too.
Even when sprinting on track,
Yet act as umpires
Hooks and lines, ready to fish the wrong,
But trip in a blink of an eye,
When given the baton.
Their eyes wide open to ignorance,
But blind at the sight of wisdom.
Their backs turned against knowledge,
They quench every flame that lits up their understanding.
Prisoners aiming to free the FREE.
Angels at dawn,
Demons at dusk.
Amakwe Destiny Chidera is a Nigerian who hails from Abia state. She is a poet,writer and screenwriter. She has written quite a number of books yet unpublished. She published her first poem "who is the greatest" on 5th of July 2019. Destiny is an aspiring sociologist currently studying at the Enugu state University of science and technology.
Today's happiness melts tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a new day
With fresh aims,aspirations
Nothingness envelops
In the subliming dust.
ASKING FOR...
Gargi Saha
I want not a bed of roses
Nor walk on the thorny paths
But be a happy go lucky person
And anticipate unconditional love
From the near and far ones...
REALITY
Gargi Saha
Laughter, love, cheer. happiness
Hopes,merriment
Gradually diminishes
From the shores of life
Awaits an ocean of tumultuous battle
For man
And he's just an infinitesimal puppet
In the Hands
of the Creator.
Ms Gargi Saha is a creative writer. She has published two poem books namely, 'The Muse in My Salad Days 'and 'Letters to Him '. Recently been awarded the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Award and the Independence Day Award for poetry. Presently she edits several scientific research papers.
A LETTER TO A LAUREATE: IT IS NOT THE LONDON EYE
It is not the London Eye
That slowly makes you move up or down
To see and enjoy
The beauty of the City
The Thames and the vicinity
And the horizon, as far as the eyes can,
Where the earth and sky do meet.
Here speaking of the poem of the laureate
Is not the same as the London Eye,
The poems, alright, fills you with joy
And soars you into the Sky,
But also spins and swirls you around your feet
You undergo a churning
It sinks you like a chain flung from a bridge,
Leaving a lasting impact,
As if you are undergoing an all-time mourning,
Whether you are in sleep or out of sleep
In your place or out of place.
You brood again and again
And run after words and images to fathom the laureate
But the laureate treacherously leaves you in the desert,
Pitiable and perturbed
A helpless creature
To fend for yourself.
He will never be there by your side
To expand the word
Or explain the world
You are at his mercy
Once you have glanced
Through his lines,
He makes you dance
At the tip of his pen or pencil
You are never the same as before
You are in torment and torture
You carry the burden of the literature
The burden of the laureate
Who has wisely unburdened himself!
With the use of the tip of a pen or pencil
On a small piece of paper
He has done the trick, a unique magic!
With his magic wand, his word
Proving once again how pen is mightier than sword.
Here on the South China seashore,
With Singapore Flyer not far
The waves touch your feet gentler
The breeze that sweeps you sweet
You wish, a poem does not throw you off your feet.
But go where ever you wish
You cannot escape the previous birth
(The reading of the laureate, the so-called mirth).
The ripples of the gentler waves of the South China Sea
Cannot wash your sins, nor correct your mental paralysis
You hide the laureate
To wife’s question: Where are you lost ?
The gentle breeze that blows
Also whispers again and again the laureate into your ears.
Again I would say that poems
(Of the laureate we are referring to here)
Are not like the London Eye
Nor like the Singapore Flyer
They are like the “Roller – Coasters”
Up they take and down they bring
In a serpentine embrace
In a speed that defies tolerance
And every time ready to fling you off the swing
(Or swallow you in the quick sands of the Mahanadi!).
Up they take and down they bring
Every time ready to throw you off the swing
Not like the London Eye
Nor like the Singapore Flyer
Poem of the Laureate
Is but like the “Roller-Coaster”
A man with age as this writer
Not able to stand (the ride) and stare,
Has taken the path of an evader.
Dr. Niranjan Barik is a retired Professor of Political Science from Ravenshaw University, Odisha and is currently attached there on teaching and research on an ICSSR project. He is passionate about literature and writes poems, short stories.
FOR ONE LAST TIME
Nandini Mitra
I walked miles after I woke up from slumber ,
Then reached at your doorstep for one last time,
My tired legs didn't give up,
For one last time I wanted to smell your breath,
So deep,so clear,
I've come with the desire to walk by your side
For one last time ,
Listen to your heartbeat for one last time,
Let's laugh in abundance,
Sing the songs of our hearts,
Dream as if all things are possible,
Sing with our eyes and lips for one last time,
The blue sky above us will spread endlessly while smiling down
For you and me, for one last time,
We'll swoon at the starlit azure drunk with beauty,
Listen to the rhythm of the pounding waves for one last time.
You'll wrap me up in your love for one last time,
Kiss my dreams for one last time,
For one last time you'll whisper in my ears
All that I want to hear ,
For one last time I'm at your doorstep
With a bouquet of wishes,
Wishes neatly folded and hidden in my heart.
Nandini Mitra is a poet based in Kolkata. A post- graduate in English Literature from Jadavpur University. She is in the profession of teaching for last twenty -five years. She has published her first book of poetry,The Road To Tranquility, recently. Has worked as a freelance journalist for a prestigious Bengali magazine published from Kolkata. She is passionate about Music and is a trained classical singer. However, writing poetry has become an integral part of Nandini’s journey of life since 2011. She believes in the religion of humanity, compassion and love. She has a rich sense of metaphors and imageries and enthusiastic about weaving poetry relating to the realities of lives and the diversities of nature. Her poems have featured in various national and international anthologies.
The body deserted at the dead of night,
on a quiet street of the town,
was noticed by an early morning walker,
he thought it looked familiar.
Perhaps it was some prominent leader
The walker called the police,
they came and took the body away,
and displayed it at the police station.
Soon the word spread
that an unknown body had been found on the street,
unwanted and abandoned.
The curious onlookers came in hordes,
and wanted to know whose body it was.
The man did not look like a padre, a mulla or a priest.
The Women's Association members came rushing,
somebody had told them
the man was probably an anti-alcohol crusader.
The Dalit groups came with large bouquets,
the word had gone round that
perhaps the man was their spokesperson.
The town went into a frenzy,
No one could know who he was,
Yet everyone fought to claim his body,
suspecting that he was someone big.
Till a little boy, all of eight years of age,
came there dragging his small feet,
He remembered to have seen
the man's picture in his school book.
In his simple uncluttered mind
there were no conflicting claims.
He knelt down and in honour of
All the deserted, abandoned bodies of the man
In villages and towns, in offices and court rooms,
he paid his homage, tears flowing down his cheeks for his beloved Bapu,
he said in a clear voice of an innocent child, "Mahatma Gandhi ki jay."
Dr. Mrutyunjay Sarangi is a retired civil servant and a former Judge in a Tribunal. Currently his time is divided between writing poems, short stories and editing the eMagazine LiteraryVibes . Four collections of his short stories in English have been published under the title The Jasmine Girl at Haji Ali, A Train to Kolkata, Anjie, Pat and India's Poor, The Fourth Monkey. He has also to his credit nine books of short stories in Odiya. He has won a couple of awards, notably the Fakir Mohan Senapati Award for Short Stories from the Utkal Sahitya Samaj. He lives in Bhubaneswar
BOOK INTRODUCTION
Unbridled is Dilip Mohapatra's seventh collection of poems. This compilation has a total of seventy five poems which cover a fairly wide spectrum of themes. The themes are drawn hugely from nature, societal issues, culture, human emotions, memories and experiences, shifting perspectives and world-views. The poems do not belong to any particular genre, neither have they any distinguishable pattern. Their diversity makes this compendium unique. As the title suggests each of the poem has an element of wildness and freedom yet follows the discipline of contemporary poetry. Through use of powerful allusions, metaphors and images the poet adroitly presents each poem like a skilfully woven tapestry to the connoisseur's delight. The poems are meant to reach out to a wide readership from the older to the younger generations.
Title: Unbridled
Publisher: Authorspress, New Delhi
Year 2023
Price: ?295/-
Dilip Mohapatra's writing style is characterized by its vivid imagery, thoughtful exploration of themes, and lyrical prose. He often uses metaphor and symbolism to convey deeper meanings within his poetry. Here are some key elements of his writing style:
- Imagery: Mohapatra's poetry is rich in visual and sensory imagery. He uses descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures for readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the emotions and themes of his work.
- Metaphor and Symbolism: He frequently employs metaphorical language and symbolism to convey complex ideas and emotions. This adds depth and layers of meaning to his poems, inviting readers to interpret and reflect on his words.
- Reflective and Philosophical: Many of Mohapatra's poems delve into philosophical and introspective themes, exploring the human condition, existence, and the passage of time. His work often encourages readers to contemplate life's mysteries.
- Emotional Depth: His poetry often carries a strong emotional resonance. Mohapatra has a talent for evoking a range of feelings in his readers, from nostalgia and melancholy to hope and inspiration.
- Varied Forms: Mohapatra's poems may take various forms, including free verse, rhyming, and structured verse. He adapts his form to suit the content and emotional tone of each piece.
Overall, Dilip Mohapatra's writing style is marked by its ability to draw readers into introspective journeys, using language that is both evocative and thought-provoking.
Dilip Mohapatra, a decorated Navy Veteran from Pune, India is a well acclaimed poet and author in contemporary English. His poems regularly appear in many literary journals and anthologies worldwide. He has six poetry collections, two non-fictions and a short story collection to his credit. He is a regular contributor to Literary Vibes. He has been awarded the prestigious Naji Naaman Literary Awards for 2020 for complete work. The society has also granted him the honorary title of 'Member of Maison Naaman pour la Culture'. His website may be accessed at dilipmohapatra.com.
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