LIFE OF A POET - VANDANA SHARMA

Up, up and away, my friends, across the skies to the heart of India, a beautiful country I so enjoy visiting vicariously.  This week, we are going to meet with the poet Vandana Sharma, who writes at Eternal Emotions. Get ready for all the wonderful sights and sounds of New Delhi, as our taxi changes from lane to lane, trying to keep up with all of the activity on the street.

·    Sherry: Vandana, so nice to be meeting with you! Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you spend your childhood?

Vandana: First of all, I would like to thank Sherry, maa’m, for this interview. Through this exercise all of us get to know each other.

I am a simple person with simple desires, as I have mentioned on my blog “about myself.”  Originally I belong to Himachal Pradesh, a hilly state in North India. Since, my dad was in Indian Navy so, I never got to live in Himachal Pradesh, though we used to often visit our ancestral home during our school holidays. Still my grandmother, uncles, aunt, cousins live there and we go around sometimes. I grew up in Goa, Madras and Chandigarh. Finally, my family settled down in the Heart of India and the power seat of India - New Delhi.

My city Delhi

·      Sherry:  A beautiful city!  Can you see something or someone in your past that you feel played a role in your becoming a poet? Have you always written, or did you come to poetry as an adult?

Vandana: I came into the world of poetry at the age of 14 years, during my high school days. One of my classmates used to write poems, her poems were beautiful.   I still remember, one night I just sat down and wrote a poem- “God” . Luckily, at that time entries were open for school magazine and I submitted my poem, bingo! it got published, I was so happy.

·      Sherry:  That is a good beginning! What is your life like today? Tell us about your family, the loved ones you share your life with. 

My daughter and husband

Vandana:  I am married and have a cute daughter who is three and half years of age. 

Sherry: You have a very beautiful family!

Vandana: For the past many years me and my husband are settled in New Delhi, though my in-laws live in Himachal Pradesh. 

My in-laws

Vandana: What can I say about New Delhi? I love this city, as much as I love my birthplace. But there is a huge contrast between the two places, in fact both are opposite to each other. One has a natural abundance, while the other is a busy city.

Busy Delhi - telegraph.co.uk

I am a research scholar at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, the main referral hospital for all over India. It takes around one hour from my home to reach my work place.

·      Sherry: That is an important job. Is there a special or favourite place you go for spiritual replenishment, or inspiration?

Vandana: I believe that god resides in our heart. I am a devotee of lord Shiva and every morning I pray to him. This is my spiritual replenishment.

President's House-New Delhi

pixoto.com

·      Sherry: I love that answer: "God resides in our heart." How has the blogging community contributed to your productivity?

Vandana:  I would not be what I am today as a poet, if it was not for the blogging community. It has tremendously influenced me.  Over  the past two or three years I have seen a change in my poems. Earlier they were immature and  now when I read my older poems , I just think what and why did I write this? The blogging community is a wonderful place, and I thank all the bloggers; their writings have contributed so much to me.

·      Sherry:  You are not afraid of trying out many different forms. I am impressed. Do you have a favourite? Has there been a form you found difficult?

Vandana:  Actually, it is hard to pinpoint any favourite, I like them all! I get stuck where the forms require very strict meter or syllable counts. But this all makes me  learn new things.

India Gate in New Delhi

travelsiliconindia.com

·      Sherry:  Do you write daily, or do you wait for inspiration to strike? What triggers you to write?

Vandana: I don’t write daily. I write when there is some inspiration or whenever I am overwhelmed with happiness or sadness. Every day life gives me inspiration.

·    Sherry:   Do you need to work on and revise your poems, or do they flow much as we see them on your site?

Vandana: Earlier I used to post my poems as they were. But now, I revise them and then post.

·      Sherry:  Do you have a favourite poem or two we might include here?

Vandana:    My own favourite poems are “ God,” ( my first ever poem), and another one is  "Morning Song”.

GOD

The sun peeps through the hill,

And then goes away the chill.

By whose will this happens?

Not mine not yours.

The one and the only and that is God.

The wind is blowing,

The water is flowing.

By whose will this happens?

Not mine not yours

The one and the only and that is God.

The snakes are hissing,

The rabbits are burrowing.

By whose will this happens?

Not mine not yours.

The one and the only and that is God.

·    Sherry:  A beautiful poem of beauty and faith. Do you have a favourite well known poet? Do you feel their influence at all on your own work?

Vandana: My favourite English poets are William Wordsworth and Robert Frost. I like “The solitary reaper” by William Wordsworth very much. I am just a little particle in front of these great poets. I would definitely love to write like them or even try a little bit  of their poetry, if I can ever mange to. I have a blog in Hindi also, (the national language of India). My favourite Hindi poetess is  Subadhra Kumari Chauhan. 

MORNING SONG

My heart sings a morning song,

I feel its soothing warmth.

Yellow sunshine drips in a dale

far and beyond.

A whiff of enchanting breeze,

skipping up and down the hills,

whispers priestly prayers,

all over again.

Like clouds my soul drifts,

freely among towering cliffs,

visualizing beauty so pristine,

everywhere.

Nature, cradles life with love,

embracing each and everyone,

singing gloriously to us,

the morning song.

·     Sherry: This is very lovely writing, Vandana. What other interests do you pursue when you are not writing?

Vandana:   Writing is my main interest and, apart from that, when I am not writing, I am busy with my research work and other daily household chores.

·     Sherry:   Is there a cause especially dear to your heart?

Vandana:  Working in a hospital setting sometimes can be very difficult. I see patients cry in pain, die of cancer or improper diagnosis; it’s very disturbing. I really wish that through our research work, we can find the causative agent, therapy to help such patients.

newscenter.philips.com

·      Sherry: It must be very upsetting sometimes, Vandana. I am grateful there are people like you working hard in the field of medicine.  Is there anything you would like to say to Poets United?

Vandana: I am very glad that I found this site and joined it. I got to know wonderful people from different walks of life, create and share lovely poetry. You all are my motivation, and let us all keep writing and sharing! Best wishes.

Sherry: Bless you, Vandana. Thank you so much for this lovely visit, and for your participation at Poets United. We look forward to enjoying much more of your work.

Wasn't this a lovely visit, my friends? I so enjoy these weekly trips, where I get to globe-trot without leaving home. Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!