“Why did you decide to publish a book of your poems? Why not go in for a novel? Do people really read poetry?” These have been some of the questions I have been asked ever since I have been talking about getting my book of poems, “Who shall I be today?” published.
The reason I decided to publish a book of poems instead of writing a novel is simple. I love poetry. I started writing poetry much before I started writing stories. And in fact, the first thing I remember being read out to me were poems. There is something so magical about poetry. It captures thought, images, and stories in a minimum of words; creates scenes of love, of war, of nature, of magic with just a few strokes of the pencil or today with just a few clicks of the keys.
And yes, people read poetry and they write poetry. There is a whole world out there of poets and lovers of poetry, who keep the craft alive. Poetry is making a comeback like never before! Poets old and young touch our hearts and thrill us. Whether you are reading Maya Angelou or listening to Sarah and Phil Kaye as they perform, you are transported to a different world.
And this is not just in the west. Closer home, we have poetry clubs and poetry meetings happening almost every week. You just need to search Google or Facebook for poetry groups and you’re overwhelmed with the number.
In fact as I write this, two of my friends Anish Vyavahare and Swamini Despande are performing at PoShaK at Vakola in Mumbai.
If you haven’t yet, you must watch “The Poetry Affair of India”. It’s a treat to see these poets perform their poetry in different Indian languages. The awesome talent is breathtaking!
My own most looked forward date each month is the one I have with my Poetry Tuesday group where we meet to read out and share the poems we have written during the month.
Even Hindustan Times has a Haiku contest running currently. And that’s why my first book is a book of poems which I hope you’ll enjoy reading!