Cocoon of beautiful poetry

In an essay titled 'Why I write in verse' written by Richard Eberhart, it is stated:

"I have a ready answer. Because it is easier for me."

But how true is this, I thought years ago, when I read that essay. I kept on asking some of my poet friends: "why do you write poems (or verse)". Some of them could not respond well. They of course felt that I am asking them a wrong question. Whatever it is, I feel that over the years writing poems has changed both in content and structure all over the world.

Ancient poetry

One never sees cantos of 'Divine Comedy' type any more. Nor do we see long poems written in the type like ballads. This may not look like a generalization of the situation. Reading throught he poems in the latest collection of English poems by Kamani Jayasekara, titled 'Golden Cocoon' (Godage 2012) I felt that the English poetry in Sri Lanka has come a long way in content form and ideology.

This comment paves the way for me to interpret in my own way some of the poetic creations by Kamani. For instance in the very first poem titled 'Feminine Feminist, a controversial subject about which I have seen discussed in copious contributions. The present persona takes an ironic look at the entire situation in an aloof manner. The persona takes the issue of domesticity, where the parental affiliations were never intimidated with the feminist ideologies. Mother had her own way and the father his way never abusing or disputing on domestic matters, 'for each had their position of dignity in the family'.

In theory of practice, she sees the diverse manners in which humans live. Some meditate by murmuring to themselves. "May I, may we, all beings, be rid of ills, sorrow, disease and unhappiness.' Some others offer flowers contemplating on the futility of life. But there lies a kitten in the temple premises, abandoned by, wet cold and hungry. People , the pious once, as implied, pass the scene in meditative moods, perhaps not knowing the plight of the little creature.

This looks more of a mini narrative. The poem titled 'meaning of a god' is yet another poem which resembles a similar content is an interpretation to these pseudo utterances of humans in holy places signifying their own insignificance before god.

Allusions

The poetess alludes to Greek personalities and at times to themes therein. Examples could be drawn from such poems as 'Ethics' and 'Tragicomedy'. The attempt on the part of the poetic creations is to recreate the human situations despite the barriers it had created over the centuries. Today, the human situation is said to be complex and tragic.

But she questions whether it s a truism. She finds that the actions such as crimes and other linked aspects have remained all throughout. Hence the poetic spirit in her has arisen even on seeing a trivial event.

'Consolation' is a cathartic expression of a patient lying in a ward awaiting just a simple message of consolation. The patient needs the attention not really from medical point of view, but more from a human frame of spiritual expression like a smile, a simple conversation and a motherly attitude. The most poems centre round the factor predominantly taking into consideration the need for a humane frame as against the mechanistic and technological attitude.

Melodious notes

She returns to nature as a mode of inner harmony. This is implied in a number of poems like 'Blooming', 'Refuge', 'Illusions', 'Mindfulness'. Some poems could be denoted as studies in nostalgia and yearning for a sweet bygone, which will never come. All humans have this inner feeling, which has given way to quite a number of melodious songs and lyrics. Some of the poems of KJ could go into the making of sensitive songs of set for music. Some creations centre round simple general experience such as the need to relax (resting in peace), the meaning behind a performance (Thespian) trying to gauge one's own values (Made in Heaven), moment of bliss and ecstasy (Sound of Music) the passage of time (Career Woman) etc. The poet titled 'literary criticism' looks like a humorous skit noted on how high flown expression could mar to read essence of sensitive creative works. The poem titled 'Heirlooms' is yet another creation similar, but opposed to the former, where the poetess feels that antiques in future will be perhaps misunderstood by those, who are ignorant of the culture behind them.

In some poems, Jayasekara sees the futility of some phases in the modern day living conditions without passing any judgment, she creates a subtle situation where one's own feelings give expression to such moments. The poems titled 'Ageing', 'Hot and Sweet', 'Humanity Valued', and 'Terminators' are a few examples worth consideration. In many ways Jayasekara's poems are social comments awaiting a judgement. Perhaps the judgement is implied or the reader of the creations could frame them in the way he or she wants.

I enjoyed these poems and would read them more than once.

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