Bards of Bahrain

 FOUR Bahrain-based wordsmiths have been spotlighted in the bilingual poetry anthology Waqt ek Rahasya (Hindi for ‘time is a mystery’), which features creative interpretations of the construct, and will be officially launched on Saturday.

Homemaker and ‘teacher at heart’ Garima Kapoor, 47, educator Nivedita Roy, 53, artist Pallavi Jain, 51, and architect and painter Sudeep Deshpande, 43, have contributed to the collection of Hindi and English poems by 62 poets from Bahrain, India and the US.

The book has been curated by India-based award-winning poet Neelam Saxena who leads the Literary Warriors Group – a set of like-minded individuals who connect for their love of the written word.

The Indian expatriates from the kingdom are active members of the group.

Dr Renu Mishra and Asha Singh Gaur, also from the sub-continent, have edited the publication. In addition to being published poets, they pursue diverse interests, from arts to social work and are accomplished in their fields. Asha has also designed the cover.

Um Al Hassam resident Garima, who has been living in Bahrain with her husband Deepak Mittai and daughter Diya for the last 17 years, has participated with the Hindi poem Waqt, khud ko thoda aur waqt de (Time, give yourself more time), which brings alive the rat race that most people live.

“There is hardly any time to sit back and thoroughly enjoy life with a carefree mind,” the Indian from Patna city, told GulfWeekly.

“In this poem, I have requested for time to slow down and urged readers to ‘give themselves more time’,” she added.

Garima has also contributed Samay (time), which touches upon the ‘importance and power of time’.

“Time turns its wheels and makes us aware of many things,” she noted.

Al Raja School teacher Nivedita, who has delved into a timely sub-theme for one of her entries, said: “My Hindi poem Naya Saal (New Year) expresses how we move into the New Year, hoping for better days, while we gather some memories of the year that has passed.”

“In my English contribution Weaving On, my quill has delved into various emotions that cry for escape and healing as we face umpteen upheavals over time – pleasant and unpleasant surprises during the course of life,” the creative talent from Lucknow added.

The Adliya resident is set to host the book launch at the Pune International Literature Festival on Saturday.

Environmentalist Pallavi has looked to her muse – nature – for her verses. In her English poem entitled Flow, she compares time to a river – they both flow. 

 “The verses are inspired by my advice to my son when he left Bahrain to pursue his higher education,” the creative who grew up in Uttarakhand state said.

The Saar resident even created an artwork to express the idea through a different medium, which she exhibited at a local art and poetry exhibition in October.

“My Hindi contribution entitled Waqt (time) explores the importance of time. Writing for the anthology has been a meditative experience and brought me solace and peace,” she added.

Sudeep Deshpande, who lives with his wife Snigdha and their many feline fur babies in Adliya, has contributed a Hindi poem to the anthology, which explores ‘transitions’.

“In my verses, I talk about the ‘waves’ or transitions that one will face when one’s time of achievement arrives,” the Indian expat from Nasik who has had a base in Pune for the last 28 years, explained.

“There will be ‘tests’ and opportunities for ‘growth’, when one walks on one’s destined path, and one will go through a state of dilemma, self-doubt, and self-conflict. But there will be ‘desire’ and ‘curiosity’ too that will keep one going,” he added, explaining the thought process behind his work.

Sudeep warned that the ‘path’ is often lonely but when people face it and move forward, they will be in rhythm with their path and that’s the moment when the ‘destiny of one’s achievement is born’.

Waqt ek Rahasya is available on Amazon.