Poetic Reflections - Week 9

Welcome to Poetic Reflections at The Gooseberry Garden. I am Blaga and it's a pleasure to introduce you the talented lady from Eclipse of the Moon- "full-time dreamer on the path through reality".

* Moon *

While the moonlight seduced the lake

with its rays of silver in a midsummer night
and our hands, in a search for solace,
found one another, we knew.

Our steps, already determined,

took a walk across the illusion for the last time.
The silence talked loudly to our hearts,
caressing our tired souls.
The lake whispered behind our merged shadows,
taking away all doubts about the path we were on.

In our midsummer night,

the moon over our town was full and smiled.
He kept on illuminating our way
while he himself slowly fell in love with the lake

.

Tell me about yourself?

I was born in Croatia but I live in Sweden for 20 years now. Poetry and painting are two of my biggest passions. What else to say about myself.... I couldn't agree more with some of Goethe's wise words about the subject: "I do not know myself, and God forbid that I should." Whether it is good or not I found that true many times. So I guess I'm still learning :)

Tell me about your blog, about the name and what it means to you? When did you start blogging?

I have always been fascinated by the Universe and various phenomenon out there, hurricanes, eclipses, auroras....so I chose Eclipse. I liked the word. I started blogging back in 2005 I think and it was only for fun. My blog was a kind of quote collection, mostly about the Universe and such. Although I wrote poems ever since my youth, poetry, as a part of my blog came a bit later.

What draws you to express yourself through poetry? Where do you find inspirations from?

When I was a child, my father always used to say things through the words of poets and it got stuck somehow. I guess I'm addicted to beautiful words, so maybe that's why... Inspiration is really everywhere. It all about noticing... Everything that happens - the good and the bad can be a source I guess. Much of it came along with some not so lovely events in my life so my poetry became a sort of vent... Since I joined WordPress I've been part of some great sites, like this one, which offer inspiration in many forms. It's a wonderful thing, encouraging many to continue writing and really find inspiration every day.

When did you first write a poem? Do you remember it?

My first poem was written back in 1979 and I still have it. It is saved within my very first poetry collection which wasn't originally written in English. (I can try to translate it here)

"Disappointment"

Twilight.
Somewhere from the darkness, a light emerged.
At first pale, then all the clearer.
Sorrow played in the background.
The night was pure silence.
White light, tiny blue circles around it.
And it seemed like a part of the sky sparkled with glitter
radiating a blue tenderness.
But all of it was just a firefly.

Is there a style of writing that you prefer?

I like free verse. It leaves more room for the thought expression. I have tried rhyme and other styles but these are seldom a part of my writing. If I had to mention one of them that I like, then it would be Haiku. I was always amazed how much it can be said with only a few words.

Favorite poem you've written?

Oh, I don't know. I guess I don't have favourites among my own work... Maybe one of them though - "Love Is A Child", because of some sentimental reasons...

Love is a child

Love
left on the bench of silence
behind us
forgotten upon the path
of everyday

It still waits
somewhere alone
and maybe wonder
as an lost child
not knowing where to go
lonely
among the strange people
worrying
remembering

Once upon the time
it had a smile on its lips
it had sparkles in the eyes
Along with tears
they both rolled
down the cheek
The emptiness within
became a place
dedicated to the power of fear

Left on the bench of silence
love has to endure
Just as a child
it has to pass through
the deceptive illusion
of one bad dream

Favorite books? Authors?

They are many, I like various genres too. In poetry - definitely Wilde, Frost, Byron...just to name some.

Do you think that an interactions with strangers/ people you meet in the blogging world/ is a meaningful part of your creative vision?

Oh, yes it is. It is always a pleasure to read the work of other people. I've met a lot of interesting and talented poets here in the cyber world. We can all learn from each other.

Any advice for people involved with poetry even not professionally, what do you think is important for them to appreciate and follow?

Just write out your heart :)

* * * * *

* Within A Branch Of Jasmine *

Remember,
the full moon smiled through the marble mirror of our lake
at our very first night.
The summer ripened within a branch of jasmine,
behind an ordinary fence, in one ordinary yard.
Yet, it was magic going on there at midnight.
In my world – way too late.

My life, an useless try of explaining the delay to my impatient soul,
in a denial of feelings for my greedy heart.
Then, all the sudden an another riddle.
How to explain a mess of emotions to them both now?
To them, not accustomed to happiness,
to them trained to live in a poorness of senses.

But,
the full moon held the answer that night
and calmed the eagerness of one hunger.
It is captured forever in a scent of jasmine
within the heart of our home town.

* * * * *

That would be all for today dear Garden readers. Visit "Eclipse of the moon" and enjoy some more lovely poetry- link HERE. Happy Sunday everyone! Peace & Love ...

Poetic reflections - week 5

Welcome to week 5 and Poetic Reflections. I am Blaga and today our guest is Mihir Vatsa.
Welcome Mihir! Thank you for your time, sharing thoughts with The Gooseberry Garden!

A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.
W. H. Auden

Vagabond
by Mihir Vatsa

Walking the streets,
his face assimilates
in the arbitrariness
of the similar many.

Two weeks since
his indifferent cell phone
blinked.

Friends leave behind
their existence like splashes
of dirty water in a pit
gawking in a ‘busy’ road.

His hands, convicted
to deepest chambers
of his pockets, thrust
to infiltrate the fabric,
woven neatly in a
capitalist factory;
fighting the expanse
of an unnatural cold.

The jacket shrunk long ago,
he walks silently beside
the walls of a now lost city.

Vagabond.

Tell me about yourself?

I’m Mihir; Indian; almost 21; a student of English Literature in University of Delhi and a struggling poor writer who likes cold coffee. I also believe that monsters are cute.

Tell me about your blog, about the name and what it means to you? When did you start blogging?

I manage two blogs and edit the third one since it happens to be a webzine. The first blog is simply named after me- Mihir Vatsa. Why? Ummm... no clue, really. I think I like to see my name on the top. Narcissist much? Well... yeah. I started this blog in February 2011, I guess, just to see if my poems were good enough for public reading. Just a few days later, a blogger by the name of ‘little miss homo sapien’ dropped her comment, thus, giving my blog its first international comment. At present, I get most of the comments from readers who belong to countries other than India. Feels good to see words traveling, if not me.

The second blog is titled ‘Tales of Hazaribagh’. It is on both blogspot and wordpress and in the near future, I’m planning to convert either of the two into a proper website. I share a very intimate bond with Hazaribagh and I believe it’s a really beautiful place. Not because it happens to be my hometown but because it really deserves it. The second blog actually started with a thought- let’s create a platform which would provide all the details about places of this town. Things started easily, and then the passion grew really intense. Today, when I look back at how ‘Tales of Hazaribagh’ has progressed, it gives me a weird yet comforting consolation... maybe saying ‘finally, you did something’. Feels good, again. Tales of Hazaribagh was started in October 2010, on blogspot first. In September, I imported the same blog to wordpress. We now have a Facebook group with over two hundred members, and a page as well. Cool, right?

What draws you to express yourself through poetry? Where do you find inspirations?

Tricky question. What draws me to poetry? Everything- I’d say. I wrote my first poem when I was nine or ten years old. That was some four lines scribbled in Hindi- my mom showed me later. In English, I wrote my first poem at the age of 15- on a dustbin. Funny, right? I mean, like really, a dustbin? It was a long poem... very long, as I didn’t know what ‘crisp’ meant at that point of time. Years passed and I continued writing, scribbling in classes, lectures, on word processor, and finally on blog. Now, there is hardly an hour when there isn’t any kind of poetry reeling inside my mind. Trains, buses, roads, squirrel, hat, mat, hair, beard, mobile phones, shoes, dead, alive, mouse, room, roof, rent... everything inspires poetry in me. Inspirations lie scattered; the need is to pick them up.

Untitled - 9

Six months, isn’t it?
You slipped right through
that grip of my hand
(I’m pulling back, still):
you didn’t listen; said,
you had to go, you must.
Your memory is what stinks
when I see him
drifting past my longing eyes;
the realization: he is not you
-the brown eyes;
cut of his arms, shoulders;
his melting voice; familiar touch-
stabs right through
the wound- already moist-
which you had ripped
off: before dying.

Favorite books? Authors?

Favourite books... hmmm. See, I am a huge Rowling fan, so it goes without saying that HP series is the most favorite. ‘The Hungry Tide’ by Amitav Ghosh and ‘Delhi is Not Far’ by Ruskin Bond: I can read these two books again and again. Then of course, there is Marquez. I loved Frankenstein and it is my recent favorite. George Eliot’s ‘The Mill on the Floss’ is a really nice read while Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ is something beyond comparison. It’s really difficult for me to write down all books here as there are lots of them. How can I forget plays by Euripides and Aristophanes, they were like really awesome!

Among poets, I like Sir Philip Sidney and John Donne the most. Their styles are in immediate contrast to each other but still, the magic is preserved. W.B. Yeats is a recent favorite as I am reading his poetry these days. Sylvia Plath is awesome, and I think her poem ‘Daddy’ is the best! There are many Indian poets whom I like- Jayanta Mahapatra, especially. I also believe that we bloggers are no less poets ourselves and there are many bloggers whose poetry I really really like. Luke, Kavita, you yourself, Pat, Charles, Esteban (he disappeared, all of a sudden), Kriti, Sina are just a few names to take.

Do you think that an interactions with strangers/ people you meet in the blogging world/ is a meaningful part of your creative vision?

Absolutely. We learn so many things from each other! The sharing does not take place only in terms of some verses or syllables but you can actually visualize a whole new culture interacting with you. Sometimes, it only takes two strangers to form a story. Even in India, considering the country itself is so diverse, interacting with people from different parts is always fun. Also, in such kind of an interaction, you only see what the other person shows you, and hence there is always a kind of mystery- what exactly is the other side? I love dealing with these mysteries. So, yeah, it also harnesses your creative faculty to an extent. You imagine, you assume things, later you find out that something went wrong in your assumption... it’s like a whole parallel world. Subtle, clever, yet enchanting.

What benefits there are from participating in poetry communities?

For someone like me, who loves to make friends like anything, poetry communities are like awesome stuff to happen. I mean, I couldn’t have imagined that I would be currently answering your questions had it not been for the Jingle community of which we both are a part of. So you see, you meet people, you form friendships, you exchange ideas; then, of course, you get insane traffic on your blog and equally insane amount of comments- which make you feel like ‘finally, some recognition!’

Any advice for people involved with poetry even not professionally, what do you think is important for them to appreciate and follow?

I don’t think I’m the right person to answer this question, considering I’m quite young myself and I lack experience in a broader sphere... but I personally feel that for a poet, it is necessary to have an imaginative mind with which he/she could dig out meanings from the most trivial of objects. Wordplay is another important thing which makes a poem, poetry. See, the difference between a prose and a poem lies here only- with prose you can’t experiment much but with poetry, you can- thanks to these things called ‘poetic license’ and ‘poetic liberty’- and since I write both fiction and poetry, I understand that they demand different treatments. People who are shy writers should believe in their talent and come out in the open, if it’s possible; constructive criticism will only help to improve the quality of a piece- the talent shall stay theirs.

Drops

When was the last time you swayed me away?
Was it that ‘one fine day’ when you first visited,
Leaving me to bathe myself in the pristine showers,
Or, the day when the friendly umbrella chose to revolt?

Was it when the clouds parted to reveal your enemy,
But you were brave enough, weren’t you, to close them again,
And rewind the misty darkness through the film of August,
Till the last nights you thrummed at my door, remember?

Or was it some idle moment when you reflected my face,
In a muddy puddle- right in the middle of a speedy road,
I saw the wheels faint and heard the brakes cry-
You took my eyes in your lips and drank the pains, alone?

Or was it when the moon rebuked and teased you away,
And you drenched the soil with your treasured tears;
I cherish that moment still, when you cooed in my lap,
In a white November sky- the difference being, do you, now?

* * * * *

That would be all for today, dear Garden readers, if you like to discover more about Mihir, visit him at http://mihirvatsa.wordpress.com/
Thank you for following Gooseberry Garden and today! Stay tuned for Poetic reflection - week 6.
I am Blaga and I wish you a happy Sunday!

Poetic reflections - week 3

"The sea, washing the equator and the poles,
offers its perilous aid, and the power and empire that follow it...
''Beware of me,'' it says, '' but if you can hold me,
I am the key to all the lands.''

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

* * * * *

Welcome to week 3 and Poetic Reflections. I am Blaga and today the talented Isabel Paulo from "Tales from the sea" is our guest. Welcome Isabel! Thank you for your time, sharing thoughts with Gooseberry Garden!

Strange sea
by Isabel Paulo

Sometimes

I want to be
A calm strange sea
With no past or memory

Sometimes
I want to feel
The gush of sunken waves
With no expression or ordeal

Sometimes
I want to travel
The length of prismatic deeps
With no foreseen horizon or marvel

Sometimes I just want not to exist outside love…

Tell me about yourself, who is Isabel Paulo?

I don’t know if I should describe myself as a person or as a poetess… or if by chance the person and the poetess are the same at all. Or even if I take myself seriously as a poet, since I don’t see myself fitting the description of one. (Is there such a description?) When I try to fit into descriptions I usually discover that I could as well fit the opposite. Or maybe I am afraid of facing who I really am.

No Longer Me

I am no longer who I was
I am not yet who I want to be
Tortured by erratic love
And harsh winds from the sea

When I cannot escape a description, I usually say that I am just like any other human being, capable of good and bad things. I have strong convictions, yet I am pliable enough to adjust to different people and situations. My interests are diversified and change frequently. I need that change because I get easily bored.

I enjoy family life. Family is a strong organism. Strange too. One day we can feel safe and happy. The next day we can feel miserable. I definitely enjoy the sun. With the picture I selected I want to show a good moment in my life: reading and enjoying the sun at our naval club.

I was educated in Europe but I don’t fit there any longer. Still, I am not truly African. I tend to live in an island, so any place can be good for me as long as I am allowed to live on that island. Sometimes I can feel African. It’s a rush of color and sound. Happiness can be kilometers of pristine space or the simple way African people enjoy life.

Lioness

The name of my beloved
Hit the wild emptiness
My call changed to roar
For I am his lioness

I write professionally. I can write about anything. (In my own language, of course.) That comes from working as a newspaper editor. I had to know all kind of subjects. More recently, I’ve been ghostwriting books.

Tell me about your blog, about the name and what it means to you? When did you start blogging?

I started blogging just because my hands got used to “action”. Can you imagine how busy editing a newspaper is? I was capable of editing material and sleeping at the same time. The next morning I would be pleasantly surprised with the result. When the newspaper closed I turned to blogging and editing other less demanding things: newsletters, books, magazines…

“Tales From the Sea” is a diary. I picked that name just because the element sea is very present in my life - or at least should be. Poetry was very rare until I was invited to Poetry Potluck. I had phases.

What draws you to express yourself through poetry?

Poetry for me is about expressing emotions and thoughts. At the same time, it is an undercover sort of writing. You cannot trust a poet. I wouldn’t trust myself. Sometimes I feel that people take my words literally and that is not entirely wise.

I feel more comfortable with the idea of being a thinker than a poet. And if I have to find a reason to write poetry I would say “love”. I write poetry to understand love. And I’ve been reaching a few very interesting conclusions… Love can be very cruel.

Suppose someone adores you and then disappears from your life. That person leaves in you a taste difficult to match. Others will be always compared. And just because of that you can be unhappy, unsatisfied, unfulfilled for the rest of your life. Terrible, isn’t it? That’s how I write. I imagine situations that can have a relation with my own experiences or none at all. Recently I posted:

Laws of Attraction

The person who wrote
The amazing laws of attraction
Forgot 1 detail: warranty of satisfaction

I had on mind men and women complaining about unsatisfactory relationships. My own satisfaction or dissatisfaction isn’t necessarily (or mainly) dealt through words.

I like what I write for a very short period. This is a journalistic thing. It’s done? Let’s move to the next one.

Exile

Exiled of your words for too long
Silence is the foreign land
Where my dreams still grow

When did you first write a poem? Do you remember it?

I was first published when I was nine. My first poem was about blindness. I am very inconsequential in terms of writing. It never crossed my mind to make money out of poetry. Poets and poems should be as free as birds. Poetry books look to me like cages. Still I own a couple.

Favorite books? Authors?

I like African poets for their connection with nature. I love Brazilian poetry. It’s free, audacious and often associated with music. I appreciate the intense expressiveness of a couple of Portuguese poets. Florbela Espanca, with her doomed love poems, is amazing.

I am very much into Japanese short poetry, its straightforwardness and sobriety. I never think rules. I always think emotions. I studied just a little of English Literature. My teacher was a Shakespearean. She forgot about any other author and insisted in making us memorize entire parts of his work. I still recognize passages during television game shows, when most English speakers fail to do so.

What benefits there are from joining communities like Gooseberry Garden and Thursday Rally?

I feel more motivated to write. The Rally is a little bit more complicated for me, even if I have to recognize that I usually get a lot more visits and comments. Above all, I like the concept of sharing associated with poetry. I love reading other poets and enjoy being read. It’s the free expression aspect. I can understand the decision of making poetry profitable. Though, I still prefer the idea of sharing.

Deepness

The sea is so deep
I could only find it in thee
That deep so deep

* * * * *

If you like to discover more about the sea and Isabel, visit her at "Tales from the sea".
Thank you for following Gooseberry Garden and today!
Stay tuned for Poetic reflection - week 4.
I am Blaga and I wish you a happy Sunday!

Poetic Reflections-Week 1

Welcome to Poetic Reflections. I am Blaga and I will be introducing you to poets of our community every Sunday! Today we will meet CC Champagne. Enjoy the interview and for more- visit her HERE.

Tell us about yourself...

I am CC Champagne, an extroverted hermit, clueless know-it-all and shy seductress, all rolled into one magnum sized bottle of sparkling attitude, served icy cold with a steaming side-dish of self-doubt and depression. Technically I'm old enough to know what I have but still young enough to use it (which I sometimes do very, very well). Like everyone I have my off days (and have had both off weeks, months and years in the past), but with the help of poetry, patient friends and family and sometimes excruciating psycho-analysis I am slowly finding my feet.

Currently based just outside Stockholm, Sweden I am a Swedish woman with an English mind (that never seems to shut up) and a heart that beats for all things Swiss, words and handsome men with silver tongues. I don't know if there is much more to say? *smile* (http://ccchampagne.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/interview-with-myself/)

Tell me about your blog and the name, what does it mean to you?

Originally A Glass of Bubbly (http://ccchampagne.wordpress.com/), along with the name CC Champagne, came to me while taking burlesque classes at Burleskakademien, Stockholm (http://burleskakademien.se/), in 2009. Seeing myself as more fully grown woman than some of the other girls (both in age and size) I wanted something that would give off sparkles for my first, and as I thought at the time only, performance on stage. My first suggestion was Alotta Champagne, but one of my fellow students immediately associated this with Alotta Vagina from The Gold Member/The Spy Who Shagged Me films, and you don't need more erotic misunderstandings when you are a burlesque performer! For a few months I performed as a part of a burlesque troupe, but when I started doing intense psycho-analysis I just couldn't keep up. One day I may return to it, but for now that part of my persona is dormant. Finding the name CC Champagne made the choice of a name for my blog A Glass of Bubbly natural.

Until June of this year I had never posted anything on A Glass of Bubbly though, so in a way I am just re-using something new in a different way. Both the burlesque experience and my blogging are things that are helping me feel better about myself, making me realize I am entitled to my place and the space I take up and that sometimes me being me can actually help others become who they ought to be.

When did you start blogging?

In April, at Random Misanthrope (http://randommisanthrope.com/). I was absolutely petrified the first time I posted something. From June I set out on my own with A Glass of Bubbly.

Do you remember the first poem you wrote?

Oh, dear... *blushing* The first poem I remember writing was for my mother on Mother's Day one year... I was probably between ten-twelve and I couldn't afford to buy her a present so I drew her a card and scribbled a poem. It was in Swedish, but the sentiments were that since I couldn't afford flowers I hope she could make do with the daisies I had drawn and the knowledge that my love for her was priceless. I probably wrote poems even earlier, but I only remember short stories before then...

What inspires you the most to write?

I find my inspiration absolutely everywhere, but that doesn't mean what comes out of it is any good, though! Anything from the shape of a cloud over-head (http://ccchampagne.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/cumulu/) to a discarded cigarette-butt on the ground (http://ccchampagne.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/what-we-leave-behind/) can make words pop into my head... At least lately.

Miss Kitten (http://www.misskitten.org/), a poet I truly admire, re-acquainted me with the word prolific a while back... Over the past few months I have embodied that word and it is just so wonderful to have the words in my head spill out rather than stay bottled up.  

Of course emotions of all kinds inspire more than anything else...

When did you start writing poetry? Do you write fiction as well?

Before April I hadn't written anything in a very long time. As a teenager riddled with angst and self-doubt I spouted what feels like millions of poems (mostly bad) in both Swedish and English, but the earliest I can remember is the mother's day poem previously mentioned.

I have a dream to some day try my hand at fiction as well, yes. I did that too as a teenager, but after once comparing my fiction scribbles with the, in my opinion much superior ones of a very dear friend around the age of 15 I have never got back into it. I am my own harshest critic and find it difficult to start since I am convinced I will fail.

Favorite author? Poet?

Tough question, very tough question! I don't have a favorite poet since what I like very much depends on my mood or where I am in life, but I have a favorite poem, one I hope will one day be put in my obituary, and that is Song, by Christina Rossetti (http://www.poetry-archive.com/r/song.html).

Again, favorite author also depends on my mood... I had a teenage obsession with Stephen King, but that has passed (thankfully).

Favorite quote?

"Here is my final point. About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography and smoking and everything else. What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, say, think, who I fuck, what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?" - Bill Hicks, American Comedian

Plans about writing in the future?

To paraphrase Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind: Frankly, my dear... I have absolutely no idea! *smile*

At some point I suppose I have to grow up and start thinking about all the time I'm spending writing and what I'm doing with it, but for now... I'm perfectly happy just writing.

Any advice to poets who wish to start their own poetry community or to create just a blog?

I don't believe I am the person to ask, since I am making this blogging thing up myself as I go, trying to make heads or tails of the blogosphere. The one advice I would give anyone who wants to be creative in any way, on or off-line is to not be scared. Fear is the kryptonite of creativity. Fear and priorities.

* * * * *
Happy Sunday to everyone!