Gopal Lahiri: Guest Editor |
Poetry can reach across borders, cultures, and even time itself so that inner voices can be heard. Poets can use words to envision a way in which commoners can still come together and can still heal in this pandemic time and in doing so in a way that is not erasing or neglecting the harsh truths of life.
For this edition of Voices Within-2021’, I am thankful to Dr. Sunil Sharma, the editor of the English Section of Setu, the bilingual literary journal, published from Pittsburgh, USA, for giving me again the opportunity to guest edit like previous two years, the special poetry section titled ‘Voices Within’ wherein the best poems of the young as well as established Indian Poets writing in English are included.
‘Voices Within-2021’ brings poetry of various types and textures and the poets share through verse the feelings, ideas, beliefs and doctrines, each with a different interpretation, collectively, paint a large canvas of the contemporary poetic space. Poems are abstract as well as thought-provoking, capturing the precious moments of our life.
We all tend to believe that poetry can keep us out of trouble between catastrophes. In poetry, one allows uncertainty and indistinctness of multiple scenarios to cohabit at times. It may be noted that whatever its pain, the universe is also awash in beauty.
The response for Voices Within-2021 by ‘Setu’ like earlier years, is overwhelming. I am thankful to all the poets who make efforts to send their best poems. It’s a difficult task to select the best of the best poems amongst many.
This collection reflects radical connection across cultures and language that brings voices of hope and resilience, energy and compassion, love and grief. Most of the poems are aligned with the desired poetic elements and are accepted for publication but unfortunately not all poems can be accommodated. A few of the Bios are edited to make them crisp and concise.
Like last year, Voices Within-2021 validates the culminations of distinctive voices, and stamps the poems with a convincing and captivating command of tone, texture, style and technique. More than anything else, the sixty-two poets included in this collection have written poems that shed light, inspire life and foster a sense of collective purpose,
So in a face, so in a shapeless
flame, Angels affect us often. (John Donne)Gopal Lahiri
62 Poets in Voices Within 2021
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