VARSHA DAS, INDIA

Varsha Das

Dr. Varsha Das writes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, radio plays and also for children in Gujarati, Hindi and English, and translates from Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi and Odia. She is the recipient of several awards from the organizations like Central Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Ahmedabad, Soka University, Tokyo, etc. She worked for three decades in the National Book Trust, India in different capacities, including Officiating Director, and after her retirement served as the Director of National Gandhi Museum, New Delhi.

INSIDE OUT

Unless I am locked down and in solitude,

I have no time to look within.

As I shut my eyes in prayer

Wide opens my inner door.

I expected a garden of flowers and fragrance,

but I discovered a huge pile of rubbish,

stinking with self-righteousness!

In disbelief I asked myself, is that me?

How can it be? How much I hate it in others!

When did I accumulate so much?

I picked up a long and strong broom

of determination and courage,

started sweeping my inner negative traits.

They were so steep and slippery.

The task was not at all easy.

It would be a revolutionary step

if I succeed in cleaning that mess.

I sprang up to clear the space.

The more I cleaned the more filth surfaced!

In shifting sands of time

It’s never too late to discover one’s inside.

I’ll continue to clean till my outside shines,

Because that’s the only proof of inside being fine!

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SWAPNA BEHERA, INDIA

Swapna Behera

Ms. Swapna Behera is a trilingual poet, translator and editor, and author of seven books of different genres including one on children's literature on Environment. She is a recipient of International UGADI AWARD 2019, Gujurat Sahitya Akademi Award-2022 & 2021, International Poesis Award of Honor as Jury, Pentasi B World Fellow Poet, Honoured Poet of India Award from the Seychelles Government and International awards from Algeria, Morocco, Kajhakhstan, Egypt and Argentina. Her poem A NIGHT IN THE REFUGEE CAMP is translated into 67 languages.

A MYSTICAL SOUL RISES 

When your lucrative smile

dazzles on the gypsy grass

being a dot ;

I wait for dawn

you descend 

with bulletins of enigmatic draft 

tinkles your benign audacity

my being dances in the tune 

dew drops of eternity 

proceed towards my soul

 

This collaboration paints 

the eighth colour of the rainbow

and sings the Anthem of ecstasy

I feel your arms around me 

the dot extends

to be your circle 

 climax echoes in the ether

I wait to surrender my solitude 

and join the perennial stream 

 you open 

my nose stud

I become 

your bride for ever ...

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SUMITA DUTTA SHOAM, INDIA

Sumita Dutta Shoam

Ms. Sumita Dutta Shoam enjoys most creative mediums of expressions - writing, art, photography, and theatre. She has a degree in Fine Arts, a diploma in Computer Graphics, and has visited many countries. The Heart of Donna Rai, her debut novel, received good reviews. Her poetry, prose, art, and theatre are available on the internet. She founded Adisakrit, a publishing house that publishes books in a variety of genres. She lives in Chennai, and blogs at: https://zippythoughts.wordpress.com/

SOLITUDE

I thrive in Night’s silent embrace;

My soul dances to music only I hear—

An army of crickets singing in my ears.

Nourished by solitude,

My soul expands to fill my house, 

And beyond,

Seeping in, and through, concrete;

My house sighs in delight.

My soul entwines with the vibrant 

Energies blooming in my garden,

And flowers in gratitude—

Peace blankets my home.

Guests try to articulate,

Call it the ‘vibe’ of my space.

It’s my vast soul, friend,

That offers sustenance,

And welcomes yours 

To the great cosmic dance

Where you and I are one with all—

No end, no beginning.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SIGMA SATHISH, INDIA

Sigma Sathish

Dr. Sigma Satish is a poet and academic based in Trivandrum. She is a former faculty of English at SCT, under the Ministry of Manpower, Oman and presently HoD of English at VTMNSS College. She has authored many books. Her poems have appeared in Poem Hunter, Kabita Live, SETU, Muse India, Rock Pebbles, Kavya Kishore and in many anthologies. Awards and honors include: Mirabhai Literary Award and a recipient of the Cochin Lit Fest Prize 2019. She is a poet delegate at several prestigious National and International Poetry festivals. 

A RIDDLE

Streetlights have brightened,

when I walk in the eve

Sky that had pregnant clouds has disappeared

I stare at stars.

While I walk in the solitude, 

I can see the crowd,

of the city,

Loud whispers, hard to hear anyone

Streetlights dim now,

I feel better.

I’ve seen, people going for long trips,

 to nowhere, with lost hopes.

They come back,

and live in their pathless space

But remember,

Road is still open…

It’s strange 

to learn about lonely life,

twist and turns of human experiences

Let there be solitude in the murky cities,

Streetlights have brightened again…

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SETALURI PADMAVATHI, INDIA

Setaluri Padmavathi

Ms. Setaluri Padmavathi, a postgraduate in English Literature with a B.Ed., has been in the field of education for over three decades. Writing has always been her passion that translates itself into poems of different genres, short stories and articles on a variety of themes and topics. She is a bilingual poet and writes in Telugu and English. Her poems are regularly published in various international anthologies, e-zines and magazines and can also be read on her blog: setaluripadma.wordpress.com. 

SOLITUDE OF SOUL

Locking themselves indoors,

They cherish life in a luxurious room

Timeless tech-savvy workaholics

Strive hard for mental peace!

Money, possessions, and travel,

Delicious food and souvenirs 

Signify satisfaction in life,

Do materials make a man contented?

People are around me now,

But they push me far away

Physically always together

Mentally apart, mentally detached!

I quest for solace in these woods,

Where I whisper to the sea

And listen to the tidal music,

My isolated soul relaxes here!

Intellectual discussions on worldly topics,

Fun-filled moments at the sandy beach,

Sharing sadness and happiness off and on,

Give solace to my weary mind ever!

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SEENA SREEVALSON, INDIA

Ms. Seena Sreevalson is a bilingual poet (English & Malayalam), translator and editor from Kerala, India. She writes poetry in English and Malayalam. Her major themes include feminine sensibilities, nature, ecological issues and social issues. She has presented her poems in several national and international poetry fests. She has compiled and edited three anthologies, that include The Current and Global Poetry, and Rhyming Words that consist of 

poems by poets across the globe.

ARCHES OF SOLITUDE

One day she decided to set fire,

The night around her.

She pulled out the poisonous fangs.

Curses were thrown in the wind.

Thorns… Storms… chaos….

Fire…. Fire…. Fire….

Language written for her burned.

Her language survived.

Her door to solitude opened,

Wilderness of a forest within her

spread scent of unknown flowers,

Ebbing of the raging sea inside her 

Made her dance.

The realm of her soul

filled with peace.

Her installations 

Reverberate spirit of freedom.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SEEMA JAIN, INDIA

Seema Jain

Prof. Seema Jain is a bilingual poet, translator, editor, Ex-Head, English Dept KMV Jalandhar. Recipient of many prestigious awards, she has twelve published books (English and Hindi poems, edited books, translated poems, translated novels and edited poetry anthologies -- two for Sahitya Akademi). Her poems are globally published in about 100 Anthologies, recited for Sahitya Akademi, at poetry conclaves, and are housed at Stanford University’s digital archives. She is on various literary bodies globally.

THE WANDERING HEART

Hidden in the secret crevices of the heart,

There is a wanderer always ready to depart!

The mundane affairs of a humdrum life

Might submerge its existence in times of strife

But like a naughty child on a mischief spree

At the slightest opportunity, it dances in glee

Whether at a glimpse of the snowclad mountain peaks

Or the inscrutable patterns of clouds' velvety streaks

The multi-hued flowers in a garden in spring

And the butterflies for their nectar endlessly flitting

The green grassy carpet, the trees with their succulent fruit

Connect the wandering heart to their magical treat

The vastness of the ocean, its limitless expanse and depth

Teeming with millions of species makes me hold my breath

The panorama of cities, villages, towns in different continents

And their divergent peoples, relics and monuments beckon me to them.

The insatiable wanderlust seems to grow more and more

As I embark on my wanderings to tirelessly explore

And I thank God for creating such a beautiful world

And salute man for inventing means to traverse the entire earth.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SATBIR CHADHA, INDIA

Satbir Chadha

Ms. Satbir Chadha was awarded the Reuel International prize for her medical thriller novel “For God Loves Foolish People”. She has 3 poetry collections to her credit and has been published in over twenty national and international anthologies of poetry and short stories. She is a recipient of the Litpreneur Award by Authorspress for her contribution to literature. She is the Founder of the NISSIM International Prize for Literature, awarded annually to upcoming writers of English prose and poetry.

 

THE SOLITARY SOJOURN

 

The earth is draped today in sun burnt yellow

Strong to hold up against whiplash of winds

Weathering powerful thunderstorms

Curled up dry leaves

Quietly dropping to the ground

When life softly ebbs

Like a sob, like a tear

And a patient wait for the transition

To a new form

How painful would it be

Or maybe not, in God’s mercy

They lie, a carpet of ochre corpses

Souls having fulfilled a journey

Waiting for the next.

 

Oh, do not crush them under your feet

For they’re about to be dust

That one day you shall lie under

 

The leaves and I are as one -

Both biding time -

Between one journey and the next

 

For the soul has no partners

But is not solitary -

It is a part of the divine Whole.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SANTOSH BAKAYA, INDIA

Santosh Bakaya

Dr. Santosh Bakaya, poet, essayist, novelist, biographer, TEDx speaker, and a recipient of the Reuel International Poetry Award-2014 and Setu Award-2018 for ‘stellar contribution to world literature’, has written twenty three books across different genres, that include Ballad of Bapu, [Vitasta, Bapu’s poetic biography] winning international acclaim. Her latest books are: Runcible Spoons and Pea green Boats (2021), What is the Meter of the Dictionary? (2022), The Catnama (2023) co-authored with Dr.Sunil Sharma and For Better or Verse (2023) co-authored with Ramendra Kumar and Dr.Ampat Koshy.

IN THE RECESSES OF HIS SOUL

People always found him self-absorbed and pretentious.
Narcissistic too. Often brusque.
As dusk dawned, an army of anxieties crept towards him.
Grim faced, scary. Ominous too. He tried to shoo them away.
“No way”, they chortled. “We have come to stay”.

At night, when he lay in bed tossing and turning,
nursing a crick in the neck, a fire kept burning within him.
“Come on, buddy. Let’s get that fizz of yours in order”.
He heard a voice. It was in a talkative mood. It always was.
“Talk to me, talk to me”, it was the soul pleading.
He tried to probe the dark recesses of his soul.
What was brewing inside?

In the nocturnal solitude, his soul and he talked.
The soul cocked its head to one side,
locked eyes with him, and was shocked.
“Why are you carrying all that extra baggage?
This mammoth ego, these grudges, these negativities?
High time you banished them from your psyche, please.”

Morning came, bright and exultant.
Exhilarating, rollicking songs filled the air.
With the birth of the new dawn, he was reborn.
The soul- searching had done the trick,
Gone was the self- absorbing narcissism and the crick.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SANGEETA SHARMA, CANADA

Sangeeta Sharma

Dr. Sangeeta Sharma, a Toronto-based academic, is the Associate Editor of Setu, a bilingual, international peer-reviewed journal and former head, department of English, in a degree college affiliated to the University of Mumbai. She has authored a book on Arthur Miller, two collections of poems, edited six anthologies on poetry, fiction and criticism (solo and joint) and two workbooks on communication. She has free-lanced for The Times of India for 15 years. A book of hers is a reference at the Clayton State University, Georgia, USA.

 

 

FINDING SOLACE

 

A bad case of blues,

 Or searching for meaning or liberation?

Then practice meditation

The anguish, the distress, the pain

Wanes when you efface the consciousness

Of all the images corporeal

Close your eyes or let them open

Shut your ears or converse on your own

Slough off limbs and trunk,

Dim intelligence,

Depart from your form,

Leave knowledge behind and become identical with the divine light of power

The animated flame grows brighter and stronger

The yellow beams subdue all at the mental altar

The divine pull and power

Steadies, unifies and calms the core

Communion with the realm higher

Inward looking at Prana, feeling the breath

Lends a new pathway!

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

SANGEETA GUPTA, INDIA

Ms. Sangeeta Gupta, a highly acclaimed poet, artist and filmmaker, also served as a to bureaucrat as an IRS Officer, recently retired as chief commissioner of income tax. She has to her credit 36 solo exhibitions of paintings, 25 published books,10 of her poetry collections are translated, has directed, scripted and shot 30 documentary films. She is a bilingual poet and has 14 anthologies of poems in Hindi and 6 in English to her Credit.

SOLITUDE OF SOUL

Invest your soul

in yourself, not in others 

not elsewhere, not in people 

stay detached emotionally 

be sensitive to all 

but save yourself

for yourself only 

empty your cup 

it may be difficult 

almost impossible to let go of

what you had stored in your cup 

since you came to this earth 

but strive and resolve 

to empty fully 

there is no other way 

there is no escape 

so do it sooner than later 

empty and then 

slowly fill your cup first 

with self care 

that is your divine responsibility 

in the process

you will get to know yourself 

that is the only purpose of this life.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

RAJA RAJESWARI SEETHA RAMAN, MALAYSIA

Raja Rajeswari Seetha Raman

Dr. Raja Rajeswari Seetha Raman is a lecturer, poet, translator and researcher. A recipient of several awards and honours, her excellent contribution in the field of literature was made into a documentary by The National Film Department of Malaysia and broadcast twice on TV1 in 2009 and 2012. In 2020 she was selected as Women of the Year by MWAW (Malaysian Women at Work). 

EMBRACE SOLITUDE IN GRACE

Embrace solitude in grace during crunch time

it develops a friendship and later a partner in name

to rise and shine on a stage called life.

Embrace solitude at the first hint of vacant time

it ignites a burning fire of desire to battle struggle 

and rise to the challenge in fulsome pride.

In solitude aspiration frame expression in colors

in solitude the pages of book spill secrets

in solitude fragrance of love is limitless

in solitude poetic lyrics blaze alive in words

in solitude humanity bridge the empty spaces

in solitude the world of ideas spread in degrees

in solitude grief triggers constructive messages

Solitude is a timeless treasure of the universe

that stands as a stark reminder to the human race

to observe life as a small part of puzzle 

and be open to change in a friendly gesture.

Solitude sings a different tune in the history of human existence 

at the push of a button rotates the axle of conscience 

from womb to tomb in this global gate.

Embrace solitude in grace to invite the divine

Choose to believe that solitude is a blessing in disguise.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

PARAMITA MUKHERJEE MULLICK, INDIA

Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick is a scientist, a poet, an organiser and an editor. Her poems have been translated into 40 languages and widely published in Indian and international journals and anthologies. She promotes peace, multilingual, global and indigenous poetry. She has received numerous awards for her poetry. Paramita is the President and Initiator of the Mumbai Chapter of IPPL and the Cultural Convenor and Literary Coordinator (West India) of ISISAR.

FINDING MYSELF

I was confused, I was distraught.

Negativities and sadness I fought.

Then into myself I delved.

In solitude and silence I found myself

Deep, deep within me I dived.

Happiness resurfaced and I survived.

Threw away whatever was fake

Salvaged goodness for my own sake.

I could find out the truth at last.

Skimmed out the lies out fast.

My soul was happy in the solitude

No vices, no confusion could intrude.

In that hour of calm and peace

I embraced the bliss I could cease.

Deep, deep within me I dived.

Happiness resurfaced and I survived.

The steps of quietude I could hear.

Solitude and silence was so very dear.

In that hour, the grass was green, the sky was blue,

And within myself, I found my Xanadu*.

*Xanadu—an idyllic place

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

PANKAJAM KOTTARATH, INDIA

K Pankajam

Ms. Pankajam Kottarath is a bilingual poet and novelist and an author of 37 books. Her poems, book reviews, short stories and articles have been published in many national/international journals and anthologies. One of her poetry collections has been translated into French. Three books on literary criticism discuss her works in detail. A book of critical essays and research papers on her poem titled “Poetic Oeuvre of K Pankajam” has also been published. She is the recipient of many awards. 

SILENCE OF THE SOUL

I may be poor, but I’m not deprived of thoughts 

I may not be vocal, but my heart is brimming with words 

Look into my eyes and read my mind, can you?

If you do, I will say you are my platonic friend.

Can you imagine the intensity of my dreams? 

They are deeply carved in my soul, crush them not.

 

I can hear the silence of the fading day,

The wails of the falling leaves

I see the craving of the receding waves

And the songs of the hissing wet winds in summer rains, 

but the silence inside me is not always silent.

It’s loud and rambling at times

which you can’t scale or measure.

It has its own ups and downs, 

unseen, unknown, unawares.

 

The lightning before thunder is bright

Similar to my joys or sorrows suppressed

I may not express things, they lay dormant

till an opportune time emerges in handy. 

Still silence is an ocean to be delved in,

for in its depths lay treasures too many. 

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

NEELAM SAXENA, INDIA

Neelam Saxena Chandra

Neelam Saxena Chandra, has authored 70 books. She holds a record with the Limca Book of Records, 2015 for being the Author having the highest number of publications in English and Hindi in a year. She has won several international and national awards. She was listed in Forbes as one of the popular authors in 2014.

TRANSFORMATION

I saunter lazily in the evening 

Amidst the huge trees in my garden,

Watching the parrots flap their wings.

Why do they fly in a group while I wander alone?

Why the onset of something as horrible as Covid?

Devoid of company, my soul feels stuck in a black hole. 

I go back into my house, locking myself in my room.

It’s night. There’s darkness in my heart too.

Sleep eludes me. Murkiness envelopes me.

I feel imprisoned. 

In the morning, even before the sun rises,

I walk in my garden only to see an eagle

Open its wings and fly high in sky in solitude…

As it soars and soars, till it becomes

Just a dot in the sky.

I realise that I have unnecessarily 

Locked my soul in the cave of mistiness.

My soul transforms into an eagle.

I begin to enjoy my solitude.

With my flight, I also motivate my kith and kin 

To fly high in the sky, despite difficulties in life.

A depressed fellow walking lonely on the street 

Looks amazedly at the flock of eagles in the sky

Nudging his wife, “Do eagles ever fly together?”

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

NANDINI SAHU, INDIA

Nandini Sahu

Prof. Nandini Sahu, Amazon’s best-selling author 2022, Professor of English and Former Director, School of Foreign Languages, IGNOU, New Delhi, India, is an established Indian English poet, creative writer and folklorist. She is the author/editor of twenty books. She is the recipient of the Literary Award/Gold Medal from the hon’ble Vice President of India for her contribution to English Studies. Her areas of research interest cover New Literatures, Critical Theory, Folklore and Culture Studies, Children’s Literature and American Literature. More about her on : www.kavinandini.blogspot.in, www.nandinisahu.in .

 

 

HALF OF HER LOVERS ARE HALF THE WORLD AWAY

 

Men who loved their wives and those who did not

all fell in love with her, when she was simply out and about in the world.

Her ‘men’ knew, she was the brimming vessel with an eternal capacity to pour.

Well, she didn’t think much about love,

neither of the ‘safe’ love-loves, nor of any loves in the conflict zone.

 

Her dry sardonic wit made them only fall in love more with rationality.

Lost in time, with the audacity of hope, she was found in eternity;

turning her wounds into wisdom, an expert at the law of diminishing marginal utility!

She wanted to be forgotten from their collective memory

when she had to wait to watch the slippers of couples in front of the Taj

while the couples were clicking away ‘couple-pics’ to glory.

 

Her ‘men’ every so often left her drained, high and dry.

Some other times they cared to say a proper goodbye.

In any case, she didn’t judge them, she just did low lie.

 

Her self-introspection and serious reflection were a caricature of living-loving.

Her faith was bigger than fears with time’s intoxicants in her hands.

There was no wind in there—just air to protect her ‘men’ from fading.

 

Above her outer skin, there were wordless walls

with a fistful of sky.

With time, invariably,

her men turned into distant memories.

 

She wrote the stories of many a life, but

her own story lay buried at someplace in a vault.

One day she lost the keys to that treasury that she had carefully concealed.

 

She had that habit— save the best for the last.

But much cared-for-stuff from her wardrobe were always lost.

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

MEENAKSHI MOHAN, USA

Meenakshi Mohan

Dr. Meenakshi Mohan, an educator, art critic, a children’s writer, painter, and poet, is a widely published author in academic and creative areas. She taught at universities in Chicago, Boston, and Towson, Maryland. She is on the Editorial Team for Inquiry in Education, a journal published by National Louis University, Chicago, Illinois. Meenakshi received the International Panoramic Award for Writing and an Award of Excellence in Literature from Setu Bilingual Journal, Published in Pittsburgh, USA.

GILHARI

I watched the sinking Sun from my deck,

bereft of its glory, veiled behind the smokey clouds.

Below on the ground, a fallen leaf fluttered,

taking its last breath before dissolving into emptiness.

Desolate, gloomy, the thought of pandemic, war, sickness, and death

filled me with elegiac laments about the worthlessness of life.

Then something caught my attention –

A fuzzy brown gilhari with a long furry tail jumped up on the deck,

and stood below my chair, looking at me with his beady, black eyes.

Was he questioning my gloom? Greeting me? Fascinated, I watched him.

Soon he disappeared and appeared again,

jubilantly running up and down the scaly bark of the oak tree.

Captivated, I watched his agile, playful, bouncy movements --

munching on the acorns, dancing under the sprinkles of the fountains,

chasing after the chipmunks and hiding under the bushes.

Enthralled by his playful frolicking, I forgot my solicitude and gloom.

Up above, the Cimmerian clouds had dispersed --

the orangish coral with cerulean hues adorned the Western Hemisphere.

A soft cold breeze tussled my hair. The sprawling branches of the Oak

danced with a rhythmic tempo, and the birds in a triangle were homebound.

The Sun, wrapped in tangerine glory, was leaving to come back.

My Gilhari, back on the deck, stood on his two legs with joined hands,

looking up at the heavenly sphere – was it a Naman to the Lord?

Gratified, I shut my eyes in reverence. Here are Thou!

The divine creature, my Gilhari had disappeared! But I was at peace!

Notes: 

Gilhari – Hindi for squirrel

Naman – Sanskrit for Salutations to the Lord

Oak Tree – Symbolic of endurance and strength

Here are Thou – Lines from Rabindranath Tagore’s Journey Home, Gitanjali

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Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

MARIA MIRAGLIA, ITALY

Dr Maria. A. Miraglia, educationist, bilingual poet, translator, essayist and ministerial lecturer for English language teachers, is an active member of Amnesty International and several other peace organizations. She is the Literary Director of Pablo Neruda Cultural Association and a board member of several international editorial and literary organizations. A recipient of several awards, Dr Maria Miraglia has recently been elected to the European Academy of Science and Arts of Salzburg. Her latest work is Colourful Butterflies, also published in the Italian language.

THE SOLITUDE OF THE SOUL

The dark vault tonight

is studded with bright stars

that silent shine up there

they seem to chat amiably and

exchange smiles 

making you feel 

in front of an unveiled part of heaven 

But the beams of light

that come from afar

tell another story

lonely in the boundless void

far from each other

unattainable they are

in their desolation

Like the stars 

men on earth 

islands are of archipelagos 

without bridges and

without boats

whenever they are 

you can perceive 

the profound loneliness of their souls

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

MARIA DO SAMEIRO BARROSO, PORTUGAL

Dr. Maria do Sameiro Barroso is a Medical Doctor, a Germanist and a multilingual and awarded global poet, translator, essayist and researcher in Portuguese and German Literature, Translations Studies and History of Medicine. She is a Member of Honor of the Association Alia Mundi from Serbia and recipient of the Award of Literary Translators of Montenegro for Translation from the Portuguese Language (2022).

A FLOWER FLOATING ON THE WATER

Like an island where nothing 

ever arrives, 

neither boat, nor word, nor a hug,

that's how I feel.

But the sun keeps shining

and everything can happen

when you imagine yourself

sailing to an imaginary East.

One day, maybe!

Everything can happen!

I know.

But I don't know why I keep asking

for sweet palm tree dates 

on a rainy and lonely night.

If I could just anticipate

the gesture

of a flower floating on the water...

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023

MAGIE FAURE-VIDOT VIJAY-KUMAR, SEYCHELLES

Ms. Magie Faure-Vidot Vijay-Kumar, author in three national languages, French, English and Creol.37 literary anthologies, numerous global awards, PEACOCK OPINION, CEASAR VALLEJO, is the Chief Editor/Director of Publication SIPAY Global Literary Journal. She holds high positions in MS, WNWU and UHE for SE Africa/Asia/Seychelles. Seychelles Arts Ards 2017/2019, 6 silver, various bronze, medals and a lyre d’honneur, Cup of Paris/Jacques Chirac/L’Institut Academique de Paris. She has attended conferences in many countries, published in numerous international journals and has appeared in a BBC.UK interview in 2020. (BBC.UK/2020 http:en.mwikipedia.org/Magie Faure-Vidot) 

POOR LONESOME TRAVELLER

Am I a spirit wandering in the dense forest

Or, am I a bird without a home

Am I an old nun at rest

Or am I a flag, fixed on a high pole

Am I the mountains overlooking the city

Or am I the ocean surrounding the world

I believe myself an orphan

Without a home to stay 

Walking from door to door

Begging some food each day

In return I play my mouth organ

So I might get some more

On the narrow path I stroll my way

Night ends and soon comes day

I meet a parish priest

Who is back from the village feast

I ask him who am I

He stares at a me with a sigh

Now I really know who I am

If anyone wishes to know who am I

I am a poor lonesome traveller

Going all round the four corners

Seekingh happiness and joy

Looking for a place, where I can settle

---

Solitude of Soul 2023 :: Setu, March 2023