BLOG OF THE WEEK ~ THE POETRY OF SUMANA ROY

This week, my friends, we are privileged to enjoy some breathtaking poems by our very own staff member, Sumana Roy, who creates lovely prompts for us at Midweek Motif. I have been gathering her poems up like buttercups over the winter, and now there is a veritable garden of beauty for us to wander through. Sumana lives in India, and writes at SUMANAR / LEKHA. Sumana also writes beautiful translations of the poems of Tagore at her second site, SONAR TORI. Let's heat up a cup of chai, and draw our chairs in close. We don't want to miss a word.

Sumana: Thank you so much Sherry for featuring these poems of mine at Poets United. Feeling so honored. Poetry prompts at various sites are my constant source of inspiration. Some prompts force words out of me.

One such was Elizabeth Crawford’s Creativity Challenge Day 2. She chose the word 'Love' and ended saying, “Remember, we are reaching out to a world that needs to know it is loved and cherished.” Shall I say the poem wrote itself contemplating on this last sentence of hers? 

LOVE

I’ll garden and tend
a few words
for you only.

Let me ignite
a spark of love
with the flint of words
that I have.

Or I’ll be the crust
and bear the pain
as my seedling words burst forth
shooting up for a sky, a sun.

I might even be the night
but I’ll write my love
in the words of stars and moon
only for you.

Or I’ll let my words be the fire flies
weaving dream by their dance
in your thirsty eyes
for a glint of light.

source

Sherry: Oh my goodness, but your words take me away, swooping about with the fireflies, my friend!

Sumana: It’s very important to grow, with much care, the words of love, very rare in today’s world of expletives; in the explosion of wrath and anger, the promise of warmth, forbearance, succor and space, so much needed in a relationship, is being blown away. Love is the only emotion where nothing is negative; even in darkness it helps see the twinkling light above. It can be cultivated to grow. It so often reminds me of a gardener and his hard work.

‘This Poem Is’ is another prompt-oriented poem. It was written for Sanaa’s Prompt Nights where she wanted poems or fictions based on the concept of gender, and also for Elizabeth’s Creativity Challenge Day 5 where the word for the day was ‘Meaning’ as in value. 

THIS POEM IS.........

This poem is a color, a gender and a meaning.

This poem is a tiny bloom with a color.
This poem is the upbringing of a girl.
This poem is a magnifying glass looking for a meaning.

This poem is born in fire and darkness,
but it has a will to drift in the breeze like fragrance.
It wishes to fling away its pink hue to the blue sky.
It is the core of all tints, shades and tones.
This poem is a tiny bloom with a color.

This poem is an open hearth furnace.
It is a story of heat to remove impurities.
This poem is suffocation itself and all devouring.
It knows too well how to melt iron and free will.
This poem is the upbringing of a girl.

This poem is a pair of curious eyes.
It is a hunt for the essence of all objects.
This poem never tires and has the strength of steel.
The poem doesn’t believe in hindrance.
This poem is a magnifying glass looking for meaning.

This poem is a fragrant flower
with the soul of all colors.
This poem is the magnificent life of a strong willed girl.
The poem is a quest for finding love and life’s meaning.

Sherry: I love this poem so much. It is a wonder! The upbringing of a girl, the soul of color, and the quest for meaning. Life - and poetry -  doesn't get more meaningful than that.

Adhik Kadam and his Borderless World Foundation

photo source

Sumana: I wished for a narrative touch for this poem and felt Hannah’s Boomerang Metaphors to be perfect for the theme.

Adhik Kadam, a young social entrepreneur from India, is this poem’s backdrop. He is the President of Borderless World Foundation and runs four homes for girls who lost their parents in earthquake, violence and natural death in Jammu and Kashmir. He has devoted his life to this cause in the violence-torn valley. His foundation has more than 140 girls at the four centers, and can support at least 1000+ girls in the community. He was caught and beaten black and blue, locked up, threatened by the terrorists 17 times.

The poem celebrates the indomitable spirit of the courageous yet victimized Kashmiri girls who came up triumphant against all odds, once again renewed their faith in life, and blossomed in the sweetest ways making happiness their destination: courtesy Adhik Kadam.

Sherry: I love hearing about individuals who see a need and devote their lives to meeting it. What an inspiring story! Thanks for making us aware, Sumana. Humans can be so wonderful!

PATH

I have an alone path
of words
that opens up
inside me
when all noises die down.
The light is either my own
or taken from others
who have gone before.
I have now
all the time of the world
to walk forever.
I am glad
I have no hurry
to reach a destination.
I let my brown leaves
have their autumn fall,
and am ever ready
for those winter days
when they will hibernate.
Even if no spring ever shows up
I have still
so many trails
others have left for me
to enjoy the walk.

Sherry: I love that "alone path of words" that opens inside of you. How apt!

Sumana:  What I actually intended to write in "Path" was about the peace within oneself and the means to reach there. In life there must be a destination, journey and a path. Peace IS my destination. However everyday happenings, negative vibes and rat-race would not let us be there. If you have a roof over your head, provisions for square meals a day and enough time for yourself is there anything more one could desire? 

Nicholas left a comment on my poem, saying the lure of the carrot at the end of the stick is all that keeps so many billions around the world trudging towards the promise of a spring that does not come. It’s good to stop and let the lure of the carrot at the end of the stick pass. It’s useless to squander away time and energy in this race. It was not until I retired from my service and it was a voluntary retirement that I had some ‘alone time’ for myself. I try to fill most of the time with words. Sometimes my own words, sometimes others’, and enjoy the healing effect with gratitude. "Path" originates from this space. 

Sherry: It is beautiful, both poem and the space from which it came.

National Geographic photo

ACCEPTANCE

As the day draws to a close
The Ganga* loses herself in the sea
Poetry words blunt into prose
The night writes the stars for me

The hawk-eye is fixed on the mice
Worms shift to beaks from the bark
Flowing water hardens into ice
I’ve fireflies to write in the dark

I am glad that I was born
I am glad that I shall die
I am glad that my path was of thorn
I will never ask Thou why

*The Ganges

Sherry: Sigh. The perfection of these words takes my breath away. I especially love the deep faith in "I will never ask Thou why."

Sumana: The poem "Acceptance" is my way of dwelling on Death. This is one truth one cannot but accept. A calm resignation before crossing the bar is an absolute necessity. Accepting the gift of this life with all its blooms and thorns, Faith in God & Afterlife, for the believers, and a life lived well and without regret for the non-believers might help the passage to be smooth. I used images regarding these in the poem. I wished to see how the word elicits responses from our poets so I used it as my prompt word in one of our Midweek Motifs. 

I also strongly believe that ‘acceptance’ is never accepting the unacceptable like what the world at present is being exposed to. But strangely enough one might not find as many voices necessary to register protest against atrocities. Acceptance is a broad shouldered word and can provide shelter to the needy.

Sherry: I so admire your worldview, Sumana, and am happy that you write and spread your wise and positive message. In closing, I would like to share your poem "Gifts", because reading it is a gift to anyone who reads it.

GIFTS

If I could only gift
my loved ones
a little piece of full moon
that would never wane,
in a little bottle
to be kept on the table and cherished.

If I could only gift
my loved ones
a forever Spring
with never ending blooms
in a clay pot
to be hung on the veranda wall.

It may sound absurd
yet they are my gifts of word
to my loved ones
living in every corner of the world.

Sherry: What a glorious showering of gifts your poems are, from your beautiful heart, Sumana. Thank you so much for the beauty you have shared with us today, and for your contribution at Poets United, which we appreciate very much.

We hope you enjoyed these offerings, my friends. And do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!