Songs of the Earth: An Anthology of World Environment Day Poems | Different Truths

‘Songs of The Earth’, the poetic anthology for World Environment Day at Different Truths today. Another great collaboration effort between TSL-DT ably edited by four eminent poets Dr. Ampat Koshy, Niladri Ranjit Chakraborty Ritamvara Bhattacharya and Gowri Suresh. Thank you Editors! Thanks DT team esp. Arindam Roy Da.
Wonderfully apt artwork by Michele Baron!
My poem is at N0.12.

12. Earth Poem

Poems are unearthed when the soil is moved
Some sun, happy sweat and a lot of grime
A bird chirruping away to itself
The scent of a banana flower, freshly watered greens
A few nodding buds, mud under nails, bare feet
Straggling vines, a sprightly sapling new
The comfort of my back against the stout trunk
of a grandfather tree
Ants on their march, snails housed in pots
Choosy, spoilt butterflies
and a profusion of defiant weeds
There is nothing here
that doesn’t hold me captive
The moss covers every crack
Even the faint breeze heals


I wish to lie here, in a flower bed
or under the thick canopy
dotted with yellow allamandas
hearing a golden oriole flute its song
watching the trees explode with spring
feeling the power, the invincibility of the infinite blue
feeding the first rain drops to my skin


To die in this earth garden
and have only the bees buzz about it
Now that would be poetry
©Reena Prasad

The Significant League (TSL) and Different Truths (DT) together offer an Anthology on World Environment Day (WED), 59 poems, one be each poet, showcasing deep concern against degradation of our env…

Source: Songs of the Earth: An Anthology of World Environment Day Poems | Different Truths

Igniting Key- Igniting poetical sensibilities

This calls for a celebration! Another good book has hit the stands-a book with an enviable collection of immensely readable poems by three poets with vastly different writing styles. Pramila Khadun from Mauritius, Reuel Prize winner and prolific poetess teams up with Dr A.V. Koshy, Pushcart prize nominee, critic, editor, poet and anthologist and Dr Bina Biswas, multilingual poet, translator, fiction writer and critic to bring forth this volume of exciting poetry.

Modestly priced at Rs.245/-, this book has an introduction by Fulbright scholar Ms. Michele Baron ( Links to her books are here A Modest Menu, A Holiday Carol ), A foreword by yours truly  and a blurb by Dr. Santosh Bakaya, Reuel Prize winner 2014, acclaimed poet and author of Ballad Of Bapu.
Published by Authorspress India.
Read my foreword here

Highly Recommended. Get your copy of Igniting Key HERE

💞
Reena Prasad

Gallery of Reuel Prize Winners

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A Review of The Significant Anthology – Learning and Creativity

One of the most comprehensive reviews of The Significant Anthology ever by the inimitable Michele Baron. A brilliant, exhaustive one in true Michele style! Boy! Aren’t we just plain lucky to have her as our friend and Sub-editor of TSA! Thank you Michele. Just love your camp fire concept.

Sitting down with The Significant Anthology is like being invited to sit in some great meeting place around a glowing campfire. A Review of the unique tome.

Source: A Review of The Significant Anthology – Learning and Creativity

The Contributors/ Readers Having Their Say #The Significant Anthology

“The principle of acting in good faith is at the heart of decent work~ Richard Eyre”

Find Michele HERE
Thanking all the members of REJECTED STUFF group on Facebook who took pains to let us know that our hard work  wasn’t in vain. We are indebted to you for all the support and guidance . This blog post is a work in progress and I hope to keep adding to it as and when you get your copies of the Significant Anthology and let us know how it feels to be a part of this history-making venture.

UDITA GARG # NEW DELHI

ZEENATH IBRAHIM #KOZHIKODE

ELVIRA LOBO #MUMBAI

THE BOOK!

DR MARY ANNIE # TRIVANDRUM

SUNITA PRASAD #KAKINADA

GAURI DIXIT #PUNE

VINEETHA MEKKOTH # CALICUT

PAYAL PASHA #DELHI

MOU SIRCAR # LONDON

SUNITA PRASAD #KAKINADA

GARGI’S GRANNY

NITULIKA SINGH #JAMSHEDPUR

KALPANA SHAH #AHMEDABAD

ANANYA CHATTERJEE #KOLKATA

KARL WHITING # ENGLAND

ARGHYA DEY #KANCHRAPARA

REKHA VENUGOPAL #KOCHI

MEHA SHARMA #NEW DELHI

ELIZABETH KURIAKOSE#TRIVANDRUM

HARDAMAN SINGH #BHUBANESHWAR

DR SANTOSH BAKAYA #JAIPUR

THE SUBJECT OF GARGI”S POEM-HER GRANNY

JOYCE YARROW’S COPY OF TSA # SEATTLE

ELIZABETH MARINO # CHICAGO

K.V. Varghese Ampat (Father of the Editor) #TRIVANDRUM

DONALL DEMPSEY ‘S COPY OF TSA # IRELAND

ANITA TRAVIS WHITE # USA

RICHI SIMON #

DR KALYANI DIXIT #LUCKNOW

SARADA K’S SON

SARALA RAMKAMAL #TRIVANDRUM

PENDYALA PRADEEP #HYDERABAD

BHASKAR JHA #KOLKATTA

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• Don Yorty
• 
• Bhaskar Jha
• Ade Caparas Manilah
• Sarada. K
  
• Joyce Yarrow
• Vineetha Mekkoth     (reader, poetess, translator, editor)                                        

• Bina Rajani-Gidwani   ( READER)                                                                                        

• Hardaman Singh                                                                                                     

•                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Azam Siddiqui‎  July 30 at 4:37pm · Dammam, Saudi Arabia                                      ·I am really really overwhelmed by the Response and Success of THE SIGNIFICANT ANTHOLOGY, its my FIRST EVER WRITTEN POETRY published in this Anthology and I am really glad to be a part of this ANTHOLOGY. ALHAMDULILLAH too good. Thanks a lot AMPAT KOSHY Sir to give this chance and to all team members of REJECTED STUFF GROUP. Proud to be part of REJECTED STUFF group, I am really glad. Thank you Sir, Thanks a million tonnes to give us this opportunity and to work so hard for the success of THE SIGNIFICANT ANTHOLOGY. This is purely your success Sir. Love you a loads. FROM THE DEEP BOTTOM OF MY HEART SHA-AZAM SIDDIQUI ‪#‎azamsuniverse‬
• Harish Bhatia

• Learning & Creativity Silhouette Magazine

• Privy Trifles July 19 at 8:42pm ·                                                                                     It is not very day that you get to be a part of something so wonderful! The Significant Anthology is “significant” in every sense – from the number of authors it has to the variety in terms of writing! This is a book that will surely be very special for me, always and all ways. What else do you say when 176 writers across the globe come together to do what they love the most- W.R.I.T.E! Needless to add a very favourite and precious story of mine has been chosen to be a part of it. Icing on the cake? Well yes and I am just gleaming 🙂 P.S: This book is getting launched this week at Bangalore. ‪#‎feelingtouched‬PRIVY  TRIFLES , that was an awesome blogpost about the book you did!! We loved it !!  READ it HERE

• Laurie Smith May 23 ·                                                                                                   The Significant Anthology will be out in July with proceeds benefiting autism research! Check it out! it is a great collaboration of outstanding poets from around the world.

• Swati Singh Sambyal

• Joyce Yarrow‎                                                                               I am so proud to be included in this wonderful comprehensive anthology and look forward to receiving my copy from the published end of August. Many thanks to Ampat Koshy Reena Prasad and all the others who worked so hard to bring this all together.
• Anita Travis White (READER)

• Santosh Bakaya                                                                                                    

• Pamposh Dhar 

• Lopa Banerjee                                                                                                              It has been an honor and privilege to share space in the anthology with literary greats from India and over the world, and to find such a caring and coveted home for my poem ‘A Woman I Am’ in ‘The Significant Anthology’, published by Morph Books in July 2015. Eagerly waiting to hold the book in my hands. Truly happy and excited about its worldwide launch and it has been an enthralling journey ever since I have been a part of the Rejected Stuff literature and poetry group in Facebook.

• Gargi Sarkhel Bagchi                                                                                        

• Elvira Lobo (READER)
• Donall Dempsey
• Mou Sircar

LINKS 

1. Learning & Creativity

2.  Straight from the heart

3.  Launch of The Significant Anthology

4. The Significant Anthology

5. The Significant Anthology at The Upbeat, Bangalore.

6. A review (PART ONE) of THE SIGNIFICANT ANTHOLOGY written by LALIT MAGAZINE

7. LINK TO AMAZON.IN  for Buyers in INDIA

   LINK TO AMAZON.COM for Buyers outside INDIA

8. Watch a video made by Editor Koshy A.V

“Autumn resurrected” read by Michele Baron

Michele Baron, Fulbright Scholar, author, artist, researcher, musician and social innovator reads my poem ‘Autumn Resurrected’. It is beautifully done and the artwork by her is amazingly delicate and I am totally in awe of her talents. A very thrilling experience for me and Michele’s lovely rendering gives another dimension to my poem. Thank you Michele and Ampat Koshy for making this happen.

Autumn resurrected

The path turned away from the bustle of life
We halted, finally alone with the tall trees
The floor, a striped carpet of sun and shade
Around us an orange rain of leaves
You kissed my hands, gently pushed me down
A replay of a younger season
In your dark eyes, a scented image lurked
Of green mangoes and silver-belled strings

I want this scene to break its waters
even if it leaves me irrevocably broken
So there I am under the tall trees
caressed by a vagrant breeze
but it seems this you cannot bear
You are on your knees shoveling furiously
till the assonance of twin coral-crested baubles
beneath a leaf-bejeweled corset
dissolves your peace

I stretch and fill my autumn grave
Deliriously content to be slaughtered
by skin, breath and unrestrained vigor
my back cushioned by purple heather
A delicate conspiracy of creation
murmuring its delight in my ears

That was then

Not long now
before you join me under the forest floor
A space waits alongside my imprints
A space to which I sometimes flee
to make sure you haven’t reached
before my time is breeched

Our spring has spilled over several seasons
I am a wistful bloom minus her green sepals
You juggle wildfires-a defiant breeze
whenever we meet
I try to hold on to my cast-off skins
But you devour each one, my fanged king
leaving me bare
A tree birthing itself
every autumn.

© Reena Prasad, 2014, a poem that appeared in Brian Wrixon’s Autumn anthology