Poet of the Month: Blanca Alicia Garza
Spraying Adverbs by Debashish Haar
After Man by Ann Christine Tabaka
Thinking on Ferlinghetti’s #34 by Janette Schafer
The Crystalline Side of Time by Fahredin Shehu
(Not) My Poem by Alicja Kuberska
Catharsis daily by Rus Khomutoff
Waiting Under the Depth of Despair by Kentu Lekpa
An Elephant in the Room by Renee’ Drummond-Brown
The Contemporary Scene of English Poetry in America by Lynn Long
The September 2017 issue can be downloaded from here:
Poetry: A form of expression so pure , so raw and so beautiful , it can only be felt deep within the soul …
For centuries poets have inspired, enriched and awakened our souls, while allowing us a
rare glimpse into theirs. Embracing our very essence with their words we are at once transformed and for just a moment, we find ourselves lost, gloriously lost, in a time without constraint, as we become one with the poet. It is said: “The eyes are windows to the soul.” I believe it is through words the window remains open. For only in words written, read, sung and spoken with a purpose to enlighten, can we begin to appreciate the sheer significance poetry brings to us.
As a poet, writer and aspiring novelist, I was honored to have been asked by Rajnish Mishra poet and editor of PPP Ezine to write on the topic ‘The Contemporary Scene of English Poetry in America’. Inspired by the great words of William Shakespeare, John Keats, Elizabeth Barrette Browning, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein and the countless amazing poets that have since followed suit; I delve into the research with exuberant enthusiasm and find to my joy and delight, poetry is not only alive and well in the United States of America, but thriving elsewhere throughout the world too.
Of course, this revelation is not surprising. Poetry will always be contemporary, and how
can it not be? Poetry resides in the very core of our being… With the increased rapid growth of social media, poetry has found a new home in Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook in addition to the multitude of various online publications, ezines, journals and blogs; thus enabling a new generation of poets to emerge. Poets who not only inspire as they share their poetic wisdom with us, but also do so instantaneously worldwide, thanks to the use of modern technology. Poets such as: Rupi Kaur, Tracy K. Smith, Elyane Youssef, Tina Chang, Melissa Mendelson, Richard Blanco, Suli Breaks, Joanne Olivieri, Sarah Kay, Steve Roggenbuck, Christopher Poindexter and the list goes one of incredible wordsmiths.
Mainstream media also has seen a resurgence in poetry, as it is now considered the newest trend of expressing one’s views or opinions, whether it be political, social or simply to entertain. From singers and song lyricists to performance artists, rappers and yes even, athletes; everyone it seems is putting pen to paper or scribing online as they embrace the poetry scene. Basketball star and legend great Kobe Bryant chose to announce his retirement in the form of a poem, – https://www.theplayerstribune.com/dear-basketball and recently performed slam poetry on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon https://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show Hollywood too shares the limelight with poetry. As actors James Franco, Amber Tamblym and Joseph Gordon-Levitt founder of Hit RECord https://hitrecord.org/ (a collaborative production company that brings together artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers and yes, poets ) just to name a few , explore their inner poet.
As one delves deeper into the contemporary poetry scene, it is clearly apparent the abundant array of talent out there. From your traditional classrooms/universities and local
coffee houses, to the more non-traditional online platforms; poetry is just about everywhere you look, sometimes even showing up in the most random of places. Whether it be scribbled on a sidewalk, scrawled across the wall of a building, or painted in the sky as a message of love, poetry is hip once again.
Furthermore, written word is not the only form of contemporary poetry making a comeback, spoken word and slam poetry have also become quite popular. Poets and performing artists can now share their words via the internet with just a simple click, courtesy of YouTube and other video sharing websites. Spoken word gives a wholly new perspective to the poem, for it allows the poet to share through voice their personal interpretation of the written piece.
In conclusion, The Contemporary Scene of English Poetry in America, or for that matter, anywhere in this vast amazing world of ours, in one word “Universal.” For poetry truly is a universal language. Poetry speaks its mind long before being asked. Not only does it convey the poet’s deepest thoughts, feelings, and emotions, but shapes them into words of beauty, that illuminate the mind, capture the heart and free our souls, as we journey through the open window…
Resources:
Rupi Kaur- https://rupikaur.com/
Tracy K. Smith- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tracy-k-smith
Tina Chang- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tina-chang
Melissa Mendelson- https://www.mbliterary.com/melissa-mendelson
Richard Blanco- https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-blanco
Suli Breaks- http://sulibreaks.com/
Joanne Olivieri- http://joanneolivieri.weebly.com/ http://stanzaicstylings.blogspot.com/
Sarah Kay- http://www.kaysarahsera.com/about
Steve Roggenbuck- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Roggenbuck
Christopher Poindexter http://
http://www.youthconnect.in/2016/06/03/christopher-poindexter-poems-love/
Elyane Youssef- https://www.elephantjournal.com/author/elyane-youssef
Joseph Gordon-Levitt- @hitRECordJoe
Amber Tamblyn- https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/amber-tamblyn
JamesFranco- https://www.graywolfpress.org/author-list/james-franco
Lynn Long is a poet, writer, aspiring novelist, as well as a daydreamer and firm believer in the impossible. She has been published in the following ezines, journals and online publications: Stanzaic Stylings, PPP Ezine, Antarctica Journal, Contributing artist at HitRECord.org and Scriggler.com
Debashish Haar is a Data Scientist & Machine Learning Expert and a Weekend Poet & Dreamer. He has been an avid fan of poetry and poetics. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Alchemy Post (now defunct) magazine, which he co-edited with American Poet Jim Dunlap. He has been published in anthologies and journals since 2003, but has stayed away from writing due to professional commitments. He considers poetry as that cathartic art that helps life sustain, when names and forms fuse, diffuse, and efface.
Ann Christine Tabaka was born and lives in Delaware. She is a published poet, an artist, a chemist, and a personal trainer. She loves gardening, the ocean, and her cats. Her poems have been published in poetry journals, reviews, and anthologies.
Zulfiqar Parvez, the poet is the editor in chief at Neeharika, and Vice Principal, London Grace International School. He did his M.A in English literature from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
Janette Schafer is a freelance writer, photographer, and opera singer living in Pittsburgh. She is a 2017 Maenad Fellowship Awardee through Chatham University. Recent and upcoming publications include Eyedrum Periodically, PublicSource, Chatham University broadsides, The Woman Inc., and Nasty Women and Bad Hombres Anthology. A collection of her poems entitled “Other Names and Places” was published by LBF Books in 2004.
Pitambar Naik was born and raised in Odisha in India. He is an advertising copywriter to earn a living; and writes poetry, non-fiction and reviews books in English to evade the acrid pain of life. He has been featured in journals such as Brown Critique, Spark Magazine, CLRI, Indian Review, Indian Ruminations, Galaxy-IMRJ, HEArt Online, Occulum, Tuck Magazine, Indian Periodical, Hans India, Phenomenal Magazine, The New Indian Express, Metaphor, Bhashabandhan Review, Dissident Voice and elsewhere. He can be reached at pitambarnaikwriter@gmail.com
Fahredin Shehu was born in 1972 in the village of Rahovec in Kosovo and graduated from Oriental studies at the University in Priština. He is a poet, writer, essayist, editor, an independent researcher of the world spiritual heritage and sacral aesthetics, founder of Fund for Cultural Education and Heritage, and a calligraphy enthusiast. He writes mystical and transcendental poetry, prose, essays, articles, etc. in Albanian and English. The more recent of his works include: a selected poetry Crystalline Echoes (Corpos Editora, Portugal, 2011) and Nalivpero (The Pen, Arhipelag, Serbia, 2013), the collection of essays, columns, and articles on culture, art, and spiritualityMakadam i Smagradtë (Emerald Macadam, 2012), the novel Hojet (Honeycomb, 2013), the epic poem MAELSTRON – The Four Scrolls of an Illyrian Sage (Inner Child Press, USA, 2014), in which he writes about spiritual visions and the author’s creative unrest that oscillates between theurgy and revelation, and the latest Albanian-Italian poetry collection Elisir (Elixir, Pellicano, Italy, 2017). Shehu’s poetry has been translated in over 20 world languages and included into anthologies and literary journals the world over and he is a frequent guest of literary festivals. He is also the director of the renowned international poetry festival Poetry and Wine that takes place in his birth village.
Alicja Maria Kuberska is an awarded Polish poetess, novelist, journalist and editor. In 2011 she published her first volume of poems entitled: “The Glass Reality”. Her second volume “ Analysis of Feelings”, was published in 2012. The third collection “ Moments” was published in English in 2014, both in Poland and in the USA. In 2014,she also published the novel – “ Virtual roses” and volume of poems “ On the border of dream”. Next year her volume entitled “ Girl in the Mirror” was published in the UK and “ Love me” , “ (Not )my poem” in the USA. In 2015 she also edited anthology entitled “The Other Side of the Screen”. In 2016 she edited two volumes: “ Taste of Love” ( USA), “Thief of Dreams” ( Poland) and international anthology entitled “ Love is like Air” (USA). She edits series of anthologies entitled “ Metaphor of Contemporary” ( Poland). Her poems have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines in Poland, Czech Republic, the USA, the UK, Belgium,Albania,Spain, Chile, Israel, Canada, India, Italy, Uzbekistan, South Korea and Australia. She is a member of the Polish Writers Associations in Warsaw, Poland and IWA Bogdani, Albania. She is also a member of directors’ board of Soflay Literature Foundation.
Aminool Islam is a bilingual poet who weaves poetry in Bengali, his mother tongue, and English. He also weaves English sonnets. He did his M.A in English literature from National University,Bangladesh. He’s currently the sub-editor at a literary magazine named Neeharika.
Rus Khomutoff is a neo surrealist language poet based in Brooklyn,NY. His poetry has been featured in Erbacce,Occulum,Poethead, Fifth day Journal, Full of Crow and Burning House Press. Last year he published an ebook called Immaculate Days.
Kentu Lekpa is a poet from Bhutan whose poems rise from his heart and speak to that of readers.
Renee’ B. Drummond is a renowned poetria and artist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is the author of: The Power of the Pen, SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, Renee’s Poems with Wings are Words in Flight-I’ll Write Our Wrongs, and Renee’s Poems with Wings are Words in Flight. Her work is viewed on a global scale and solidifies her as a force to be reckoned with in the literary world of poetry. Renee’ is inspired by non-other than Dr. Maya Angelou, because of her, Renee’ posits “Still I write, I write, and I’ll write!”
A pink elephant in the room.
Is obviously present, nonetheless metaphorically doomed.
An issue none wants to discuss.
A challenge beyond what appears true.
I’m staring out into the night,
Trying to hide my tears;
Every drop of my tears echoed;
Beside the wall i inclined;
It’s hard to hide my tears falling;
And the pain i felt right now;
There is no mercy from thou;
Broken all apart and had left me,
The miles are getting longer;
It seems you’re no longer there
I’m waiting for your call…
Despite, i hadn’t hear your voice.
I stand beside your teary eyes
Like how much you wanted me more.
Kiss me through the phone,
I always think of you every time. ..
All the time you’re on my mind
We play together you and I …
Never knew our heart would break.
Sometimes out the window,
I noticed that you’ve been waiting alone
And i wonder why you can’t come up,
every night in my dreams
I see you i feel you,
but you weren’t there…
that is how i know, i am always alone weeping through window of my broken heart.
Lions and shadows
labyrinthine emergence
voice in the chasm
obliteration of the possible at all costs
unbegotten and immortal
words that belong to a quantum realm
catharsis daily
I’ve already died
Of your love
Kill me not,O’ my beloved!
Kill not the deceased again
I’ve already burnt
With your severance
Set me not on fire,Dearest!
Burn not the ashes again.
I wrote a few words and secured them permanently.
Reflections and emotions created the stanzas.
I uttered the final sentence,
and my poem moved like a zephyr,
Kissing my lips lightly as he left, gliding away to strangers.
.
He slipped into eyes, where tears are born.
He whispered tender words to hearts
and they faintly shivered.
He pricked dormant consciences,
made stale by daily routine.
He consoled a sad lady, Melancholy.
At night he soared skywards
parting heavy curtains of clouds.
The stars glistened over illuminated moonlit paths for lovers
The tender song of a lone nightingale
echoed around the dark abyss
and sank softly into swooning scents of flowers.
Sometimes my faithless lover returns
– beloved son of the muse, but child of mine no more
There’s sunlight and your words like thunder split my being
there’s a flashlight in my Soul
perhaps you waited hardly – out of empty stomach to see a smile in his face
there are no tears in a full stomach you shall know this too
and I see the smile of the ignorant as the most ignorant
one can be – I’m the one – who stands as rock and I watch with binoculars
down the lake and the swan couple I see in the pond playing the erotic game
perhaps you recall how we met in a Crystalline side of Time
and you hold now the empty shell echoing my name
the war ended roughly two decades ago and we still Love
as mad as no one can be, in here where the age of smirks rolls its dice and
in a place of serenity we call heart
Nauseated fate on the streets
Fragments of pang and pain scatter in your bosom
Brownish fields, stony breathlessness
No more she, he, her or him, morning to evening
The lovely sky up even gasp for a little solace!
Coal mines, black gold, an illusion
Exceeds and disproportionate trauma
Stinky smell of callousness
Hoary deposits of the sweat and blood
An algorithm of fossilized humiliation
That might be Birbhum, Kalahandi or Mednapur.
The future is bleak and the hutments
Gaze like the Bengal of 1966
Coal, bauxite buries millions of lesser gods
The byword, the replica of the biblical no people
How can that fetid shame be brushed away?
Gray ashes of gloomy centuries
Noah’s floods
That far off Ethiopia
Somewhere in our backyard.
WE = With Us U WIn
for BA and MA English
Stories, Tales, Lies, & Exaggerations from the Mind of a Madman Philosopher.
This site is my public page for displaying my poetry and writings.
Welcome to my world.
But Still Living The Life
PPP Ezine 