Aditya Vikram Singh/NEW DELHI:
In a time of global pandemic like Covid-19 when people prefer to stay indoors to ward off any chance of the pandemic gripping them, approximately four dozen women poets (women bards), crossing boundaries of their respective countries, came together on an online platform to recite poetry and share their life experiences and that of the global pandemic, through Google meet.
Some of the countries from where the female bards participated in the online global poetry recital programme, included India, USA, Switzerland, Italy, Indonesia, Chile, Netherlands, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and Croatia, etc.
The Progressive Literary and Cultural Society (Prayagraj) organized International Online Women Poetry Reading on Google Meet entitled as “Women Poets: Crossing the Boundaries” on 8th August.
Programme commenced with the introduction of the Society by PLCS Indian Coordinator, Dr. Kanu Priya Verma ( Dr. Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University, Lucknow) followed by “History of Women Poetry” by Programme Convenor & PLCS Italian Representative, Lucilla Trapazzo (Switzerland).
Before Poetry Reading, Iva Santini (Croatia), mesmerized audiences with her song and traditional instrument. Sabrina Di Canio (Italy) was the first to recite her poem, “Marble”. Then Helen Sarita (Philippines) recited, “Nothing is Impossible in the Heaven’s Beneath” and Kusumaningtyas Purwanti (Indonesia) read “Closure”.
Among Indian poets Dr. Neerja Sachdeva was the first to recite her poem, “Hope”. PLCS President, Dr. Shamenaz (Rajarshi Tandon Mahila Mahavidhyalaya, Prayagraj) recited, “Yes I Am a Sinner” and PLCS Vice-President, Dr. Manisha Singh (NKVI College, Lucknow) recited “Shower the Mercy”.
Other Indian Poets like PLCS Spanish Coordinator Manju Yadav (Hyderabad) recited “Love at the End”, Dr. Alka Prakash (R. B. State University, Prayagraj) recited “Waiting is Like a Text of a Letter” Reema Sharma (Chattisgarh) recited “This Change is Good” and Dr. Ranjana Sharan Sinha read “Pegasus on the Wind”.
Some immigrant Indians like Dr. Shaista Maseeh (Saudi Arabia) recited “The Receding Youth” and Doctor Nalini Tandon (USA) recited “Reflection of An Old Age”. Then PLCS Turkish Coordinator, Muhsine Arda (Turkey) recited “I Am a Stoneless Mother” and Dalila Hiaoui (Morocco) recited “We Are the Light”.
European poets like Smaragdi Mitropoulou (Greece) recited “Eternity”, Erina Coku (Albania) recited “The Longing”, Hristina Cvetanoska (Macedonia) recited “Do You Know Distance Are Embraced” and Gloria Sofia (Netherlands) recited “Life is a Work”.
Among American poets, Kimberly (USA) recited “Life is a Folding” and PLCS American Coordinator, Annette Tarpley (USA) recited “Broken Dreams”.
In the end, Co-Convenor Dr. Kanu Priya recited “Silences”, Convenor, Lucilla Trapazzo recited “Jenny’s Lineage” and Amelia Cayul (Chile) sang indigenous songs and played her country’s instrument. The programme ended with ‘Vote of thanks’ by Dr. Kanu Priya.
