A letter to ponder--From Ishita for Peri in Mad house

Ishita
W/o Dr. Girish Sharma,
Shastri Nagar, Kullu.
175101 (H.P.)

Dear Rati Saxena

Vikalp, issue January 2007, received only a few days back, presented by friends as gift on bed for a sick to get busy in my ever favorite pass time. Before I could start reading, it came in my hand, a small booklet of poetry, with a familiar name of ‘Rati Saxena’ on cover page, the creator of beautiful web Magazine ‘ Kritya’, and there I started reading the poems that reflect, individual pain of an asylum prisoner framing her complete story in my mind that came alive through her works. There artistic outbursts of a suffering female also reflect a universal pain of a million women caught up and locked up in different asylums of their own household, expecting them never open up or even dream of any freedom to desire some happiness as individuals.
I read the whole booklet without a pause. Then I read it again and again and then again, wanting to reach out my hand to hold the suffering; soothe her and tell her how I understand her need for air and sun. (In a gathering, two years back a ‘man’ reacted on my poems. “Why women still talk of sunshine and a square piece of sky, even in twenty first century?”). I want to tell her of the pain and anger I feel as a woman against all that she had to bear. Every verse brings out the scenes of her sufferings alive. And I question my self how long this all will continue in different societies:
The 4th poem in which she talks about a headless man entering her room, playing on her body without emotions, and compares his ways to those of her husband, tell how natural it was for the emotional female to fall for another man for fulfilment of her emotional self. Wasn’t this Pari’s right to crave for some happiness from some where after those practical night mores, night after night.
She talks of forgotten music and dance, and of ever lasting love in her heart ---- thoughts and dreams and desires can’t be imprisoned---- these can never die--- Pari can never die!!
Her strength is felt in the lines where she refuses to confess I want to tell Pari, “Your faith in yourself, in your innocence, makes you ever strong every moment. You will live forever because you haven’t committed any sin!”
Madam Rati’s poems are equally beautiful. These too arouse in us feeling of sharing the pain fo someone who will always remain alive in all those women, who love Pari for her madness. Madam Rati’s anger towards the cruel setup of society is well understood through her lines. How can one remain without reacting!
Here I want to pen down some lines in Hindi that are just an echo of some lines by Pari and Madam Rati:

इशिता का जवाब‍

1
कभी भी नहीं माँगूंगी उनसे धर्म ग्रन्थ
पापों के प्रायश्चित के लिए
जिससे महसूस कर सकें वे अपने को मजबूत (परी)

तुम्हारा स्वयं पर विश्वास ही
बनाता है तुम्हे हर पल मजबूत
तभी
आज भी जिन्दा हो
रहोगी हमेशा
क्यों कि तुमने नहीं किया पाप।

2
तभी तो तुमने अपने  पति को मार डालने के लिए वार किया (परी)


यही तुम्हारा पागलपन था
‌और तुम्हारी तरह
और उन सभी औरतों का
जो हर पल स्वयं पर जबरदस्ती करते
मूर्तरूप क्रोध को
दबा नहीं पाती।

3

नर्स गुस्सा कर रही है
शर्म आनी चाहिए तुम्हें!
तुम एक चींटी के मरने पर रो रही हो....(परी)

हम हैं तुम्हारे साथ
हम जानते हैं कि तुम्हारी नर्स को
ईश्वर के बनाए इंसान से प्यार नहीं
औरत हो कर भी वह
तुम्हारी चींटी की कीमत नहीं समझती

4

दवाई की गोली और शीशी की जगह
यदि वे मुझे एक गमला दें दे
मैं उसमें चींटी की मरी देह दफना दूँगी
तो उसका रहस्य लाल पंखुड़ियों में खिल उठेगा (परी)

पागल खाने क्यों होते हैं?
क्यों नहीं होते
इंसानी प्रेम-स्नेह के स्कूल?

5

शाक थेरोपी?
शाक थेरोपी!
शाक थेरोपी, क्या कोई और भी शाक थेरोपी है
तुम्हारी दुनिया में (रति)

जानती हो ना
शाक थेरोपी जायज है!
जायज समाज में
एक जायज विवाह में
जिसके खिलाफ
कितनी ही परियाँ रहती हैं खामोश
यह शाक थेरोपी है परियो के जीवन का हिस्सा
बस चुप रहो!
चुप्प!!
बिल्कुल चुप्प!!!

6

यदि माँ ने नहीं सोचा होता
तो तुम भी नहीं सोचती परी
किसी के लिए, किसी के भी लिए। (रति)

जो जिन्दा है
जो सपने देखती है
आसमान देखती है
जो जानती है.. वह वस्तु नहीं
वह सोचती है

(ईशिता)

****

My dearest Madam,
Thanks for your kind mail and information about kritya ...
sincerely
kee thampi

***

Dear Rati,

I saw the Italian issue. very impressive. Thanks for the acknowledgement. I am not yet a DR. I am still finishing off my doctorate. Will write soon.


Usha

***

Dear Rati Saxena,

very glad to publish
on your website.
Very Thanks
and all my best

Alberto Mori

www.albertomoripoeta.com

***

Dear mem,

God morning. I had read yr's march'07 issue.I am very happy to know that this issue is specially for Italian poetry. I hope that "KRITYA" must be give the new things in any time to the reader. With bright future to "KRITYA" & best of "HAPPY HOLLY". Thanks.


Abhijit Payeng, Wardha

***

Can't wait to read it, my friend! Hope you are well.

Ward

***

Dear editor, thanks for everything you did for our work. i do not know if my essay was a good one and am not sure about the precision of its English / i practice it as a spoken language, not as a written one. i am writing in a hurry now, i only wanted to say you Thanks.
yours,
massimo sannelli

***

thank you!
publique la informacion en seccion "web" de http://isla_negra.zoomblog.com
regards
Gabriel
 

****

Rati Ji,
Dhanyavad. Aap bahut Achha Kaam kar rahi hain. Mera saadhuvaad.

Ramesh Mehta

***

क़ृत्या का हर अंक अनुठा एवम ताजगी लिये
हुए है. सुरुचिपूर्ण एवम कलात्मक होने के
साथ रचनाओ का चुनाव भी उत्कृष्ट है. विषयो
की विविधता एवम मौलिकता प्रभावित करती है.
बधाईया और शुभकामनाए.

प्रभा मुजुमदार

******

Dear Rati
Congratulations on bringing out an excellent issue on Italian Poetry.
I wish to send you an article on American Poetry of 21stcentury. During my recent visit to States I got an opportunity to attend about 12 meetings called Lunch Poems where the local and specially invited poets used to read out their latest poems. It has already appeared in the journal of University of California.
I think it could be of great interest to your readers.

With regards
Mohan KishorDiwan

****

Dear Ratiji,
Thanks for the presentation of the month. We shall surely explore the poetic creations.
Good wishes,
Aju Mukhopadhyay

***
Thanks Rati, I look forward to it, knowing it is more of your best journal creativity which is first rate.

I hope you've received your copy of the academici anthology and like it. I think you shine in it.

Joneve

***

Congrats on another imaginative issue Rati. Always a pleasure to get the new Kritya.

Thanks,

Nate

***

Dear friend - I am looking forward to having time soon to savor the latest Kritya. Italian poetry. Yes, what an excellent choice to spotlight in terms of culture and history. So much that we have in the West for good or ill has come out of Italy or that region from antiquity. Currently, I watch the HBO special Rome with avid interest and The Sopranos have long been a favorite. So, the secular Italian from Caesaerean days to the Mafia of today's New Jersey are major influences when I am in pain and must sit on heat to recover my ability to continue. I also once taught Language Arts to elementary students at the Italian Cultural Center here in Kansas City.

A bout of illness, more work in this "home stretch" of the school year, repairs at home, wild cat rescue - these are a few of the happenings that have taken up my time and kept me from Poetry.

I hope you are well and recovered from your illness.

All best, Christina

****

Thank you so much for you kind words Rati
and thank you for allowing me to present you with a selection of my poems
i feel they are a voice for all to listen to and thank you again.
i have the first proof of my first book of forty poems and it will be
available very shortly
beginning middle to end of February, my wife Donna and myself are publishing
ourselves
abd it has been a steep learning curve.
ps it your journal online only or can you subscribe? if it is possible i would
like to.

freedom is a wonderful feeling
and i sense it in your voice
and charming as well, it is.
the sound it makes; so nice,
as i ask. Why cant we all be like?
all our love
robin and donned

****

Dear Rati,

Thanks for the invite. I see your dream is growing and further materializing. If I
could be of assistance as a consultant/advisor, I'd be glad to do so. I found that
comment about Dickinson's dashes by Massimo Sannelli very interesting. Odd that Italian
translators should leave those dashes out. I do, however, see them as more than "scars."
http://www.thedrunkenboat.com/kennedy.html

Best regards,
Lillian Kennedy

****

 Rati

Thank you for presenting my poems, they look very nice indeed
And I also enjoy reading other poets works
That would otherwise never have been presented
without all your hard work.
Please find below minor corrections and alterations.
And attached front and back cover of my first collection of poems
The Heart Of Poetry First Journey
The back has a bit about me which you may want to use Rati.
Kindest regards
my website is being currently updated and will have details of the book
there soon.
Kindest regards
Hare Om
Robin