My Mission on Earth - by Vatsala Radhakeesoon
There has always been a call for words in my life. As a child and teenager, I was very shy. I was never able to voice out in a large group both at social gatherings and at school. I was often labelled as “too docile, defenceless one”. Wherever I went, many people often stated “How is she going to face the world. She is not daring. She has no guts.” However, my inner voice used to say just the opposite. I felt what people said was wrong. I felt I had the strength to fight in this world. From this emerged a need within me to assert myself or have my own voice. Then at the age of 12 after listening to the hit French song H├йl├иne by my favourite singer RochVoisine I felt inspired and grabbed a pen and paper and started to write a few lines much in lyrics style, but I soon destroyed that piece of writing as I felt it was not good enough. But after that incident I started to gather cuttings of lyrics from music world’s magazines such as Smash Hits, Top 50, Podium and I created many copybooks of songs. From time to time, I kept on analyzing the lyrics and I shortly knew the words of each of the songs in my copybook by heart. Two years elapsed. Then in August 1992 at the age of 14 while I was in the Chemistry practical class of my school, Loreto Convent Rose-Hill a question flashed in my mind “what is death?” Then I felt as if I was carried away in a different world. On the last page of my Chemistry copybook I wrote my first surviving, yet unpublished poem entitled “We Call You Death.” The source of inspiration for this poem came from the death of a pigeon. Since, I have always loved all types of animals their suffering or the loss of a pet has always moved me.
We Call you Death
You’ve flown away forever,
You’ll never come back,
Where are you little bird?
I can’t catch you,
I can’t see you
If I want to hear you singing
I only have to dream.
Once in life you come to visit us
and we call you death.
Since that day, poetry -writing has become a crucial part of my life and it has remained as my first love, my friend, my guide and my confidant. Poetry has encouraged me to express myself in joyful and stormy moments and a bond of loyalty has been established naturally between us. Poetry has given me my own voice and helped me to be myself.
When I was eighteen my poem “Loneliness” first appeared in print in the widely read local Mauritian newspaper L’Express. This poem has been inspired by common teenage problems of feeling misunderstood by adults or even at times by friends:
Loneliness
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
Sorrow seems to be my friend,
Happiness has betrayed me,
A broken heart,
A confused mind,
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
No one can hear my laughter,
Nor can they hear my cries,
They cannot feel the pain;
Misunderstood and rejected,
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
Afterwards I kept on writing poems but I didn’t have them published up till the year 2012. Then, in 2013 determination guided me. I decided to have my first poetry book When Solitude Speaks published by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mauritius. This book comprises of a selection of poems that I’ve written between the ages of 14 to 35. My second poetry book Depth of the River has been published in July 2017 by Scarlet Leaf publishing House, Canada. Gradually my poems are being featured in various international blogs, journals and magazines and I’ve started to write in other languages such as French, Mauritian Kreol (KreolMorisien) and Hindi. From time to time I pen down some short stories as well.
There has always been a call for words in my life. As a child and teenager, I was very shy. I was never able to voice out in a large group both at social gatherings and at school. I was often labelled as “too docile, defenceless one”. Wherever I went, many people often stated “How is she going to face the world. She is not daring. She has no guts.” However, my inner voice used to say just the opposite. I felt what people said was wrong. I felt I had the strength to fight in this world. From this emerged a need within me to assert myself or have my own voice. Then at the age of 12 after listening to the hit French song H├йl├иne by my favourite singer RochVoisine I felt inspired and grabbed a pen and paper and started to write a few lines much in lyrics style, but I soon destroyed that piece of writing as I felt it was not good enough. But after that incident I started to gather cuttings of lyrics from music world’s magazines such as Smash Hits, Top 50, Podium and I created many copybooks of songs. From time to time, I kept on analyzing the lyrics and I shortly knew the words of each of the songs in my copybook by heart. Two years elapsed. Then in August 1992 at the age of 14 while I was in the Chemistry practical class of my school, Loreto Convent Rose-Hill a question flashed in my mind “what is death?” Then I felt as if I was carried away in a different world. On the last page of my Chemistry copybook I wrote my first surviving, yet unpublished poem entitled “We Call You Death.” The source of inspiration for this poem came from the death of a pigeon. Since, I have always loved all types of animals their suffering or the loss of a pet has always moved me.
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| Vatsala Radhakeesoon |
You’ve flown away forever,
You’ll never come back,
Where are you little bird?
I can’t catch you,
I can’t see you
If I want to hear you singing
I only have to dream.
Once in life you come to visit us
and we call you death.
Since that day, poetry -writing has become a crucial part of my life and it has remained as my first love, my friend, my guide and my confidant. Poetry has encouraged me to express myself in joyful and stormy moments and a bond of loyalty has been established naturally between us. Poetry has given me my own voice and helped me to be myself.
When I was eighteen my poem “Loneliness” first appeared in print in the widely read local Mauritian newspaper L’Express. This poem has been inspired by common teenage problems of feeling misunderstood by adults or even at times by friends:
Loneliness
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
Sorrow seems to be my friend,
Happiness has betrayed me,
A broken heart,
A confused mind,
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
No one can hear my laughter,
Nor can they hear my cries,
They cannot feel the pain;
Misunderstood and rejected,
I’ve chosen the path leading to loneliness.
Afterwards I kept on writing poems but I didn’t have them published up till the year 2012. Then, in 2013 determination guided me. I decided to have my first poetry book When Solitude Speaks published by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Mauritius. This book comprises of a selection of poems that I’ve written between the ages of 14 to 35. My second poetry book Depth of the River has been published in July 2017 by Scarlet Leaf publishing House, Canada. Gradually my poems are being featured in various international blogs, journals and magazines and I’ve started to write in other languages such as French, Mauritian Kreol (KreolMorisien) and Hindi. From time to time I pen down some short stories as well.
My works are basically centred on emotional, social, historical, philosophical, spiritual, and the children’s world issues.
I write mainly because I have realized the importance of communication in life.
Words unsaid, thoughts kept buried in our hearts often lead to doubts, misunderstanding and bias judgement. Writing is primarily for me a powerful tool of communication. It allows an internal communication with my muse. This enables me to think properly and have clarity of thoughts and maintain coherence in speech.
Furthermore, writing helps me to reach out to people.
Having my works published as books, online and on social media makes it easier
for me to share my thoughts, views, and ideas with the Mauritian society and
globally. The feedback of readers as well as reviews and critics enhance this
external communication process.
Within my 25 years of poetry writing I’ve also got the hint that God has entrusted me the following mission: To write poems and stories so as to bring back certain fading values, fight against injustice and contribute in uplifting human beings and create a better world. I feel I keep on writing because God, the maker guides me to do so and writing is the major purpose of my life, my very existence. This is my means to offer my service selflessly to the world.
Writing also makes me go deeper and deeper to my sub conscience and soul
and it often guards me against the impermanent nature of mundane hectic life, competition, and shallow fame. Thus, writing is and will always remain for me my medium of liberation from all insecurities, unsure bonds, and the materialistic world. I pray that as long as I live the Divine gives me the strength to have an ego-less purpose in regard to my writings and I go on writing with a free and balanced mind.
Within my 25 years of poetry writing I’ve also got the hint that God has entrusted me the following mission: To write poems and stories so as to bring back certain fading values, fight against injustice and contribute in uplifting human beings and create a better world. I feel I keep on writing because God, the maker guides me to do so and writing is the major purpose of my life, my very existence. This is my means to offer my service selflessly to the world.
Writing also makes me go deeper and deeper to my sub conscience and soul
and it often guards me against the impermanent nature of mundane hectic life, competition, and shallow fame. Thus, writing is and will always remain for me my medium of liberation from all insecurities, unsure bonds, and the materialistic world. I pray that as long as I live the Divine gives me the strength to have an ego-less purpose in regard to my writings and I go on writing with a free and balanced mind.
Thank you for sharing some of your journey in writing and especially poetic writing. Keep going and you are still young. Your poetic voice can only grow stronger as you continue to write and read widely.
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