Women's Day Micro-poetry Contest Results

This Women's Day, Poetry Shots with Shon was hosted online with a picture prompt for the poets to weave a 5-lines micro-poetry. The contest witnessed some really interesting imaginative entries.
Each participant had a different story to tell via their poetries, giving me a tough time to decide one winner amongst the splendid participants.
So, kudos to each poet who participated in this contest.

                               The Winner of the contest is

The winning poem is here!


Geethanjali Dilip

The stone seats have waited long,
To melt in her sultry countenance,
 This lady in red, a walking song,
 A parasol shrouding feigned innocence,
 That she holds daintily lest she melt under man-made sunlight.

                 My Favourites amongst the entries:

Debolina  Coomar

A lady in red stole my heart,
 But, she left tearing me apart.
 The next time I met, I was more cautious,
 But, I fell for those dreamy eyes again,
 This time her betrayal was no longer pain.




Kriti Singh

I was craving for the rain,
 And here it's raining heavily,
 I love the feeling when I touched the raindrops,
 Falling in love with rain is not cogency,it's ecstasy,
 A gorgeous and admirable moment of alluring madness.




Harsh Vardhan Samrat

Screened on the red canvas of this umbrella
 Past moments of ecstasy and elation
 Seeing this phenomenal cinema of our love
 Even the lying stones burst into emotions
 But why don't you?




Niwant Salunke

Fallen for the beauty of the beautiful,
 I just forgot about the lion sitting dreadful;
 The black lining on your skirt complements the car,
 The blood red beauty splendid the aura,
 The thing which is missing is a small red fedora




Shama T. Bukhari

From behind closed windows , two old bereaved eyes peep .
 She sees a mermaid in red ,waiting with an umbrella to shield .
 She with a sigh thought of someone, who sailed out of Hudson harbour never to return.
 The Sphinx he pointed is our witness of love , but he never returned .
 She pity the girl who sits and wait daily for someone.




Niveditha Nivi

Polko dots and pointed heels,
 Adorning her pretty skin,
 With Red umbrella spread wide,
 And gracious smile playing on,
 She waited for her handsome's ride.




Yana

Redly painted phenomena is me
 with spark on my hands incessantly
My clinquant eyes are dripping for your presence
Nosing your hands for freedom of incense dear
I am red!
Women of today with sheer




Geeta C Yadav

She is a phantom of delight,
 Dressed in red, she knows her might,
 She sits all by herself with a smile,
 Ready to walk down the aisle,
 With Maria; her natural choice.




Fatima Afshan

I wait for you with a spark in my eyes
 holding a red umbrella against the blue sky
 my red dress dazzles the passers by
 But my glittering eyes don't feel shy
 As I fly with you in an imaginary sky.




Tanushree Das

I smelled Your charisma as a child,
 I was seduced by Your frequent accidentally encountered smelling,
 I was longing for starting to be using You,
 I suddenly started submerging into My fantasies when I spelled your name clearly at yesterday,
 And I magnetically tasted You for making You stay with Me for My cravings,Lipstick!




Raminder Kaur Luthra

Nature is my first love
 Which teaches me how To love
 Things I am pondering
 Will startle every human being
 Love rain,love thou nature ,love you my love.




Avinash Kumar Verma

She sits by the fountain,
 Drenched in the red and bold.
 Sunrays peeping through the divine windows,
 Upon this beauty with red umbrella,
 And a smile defining her confidence.




Shon Alley

While passing by the 21st lane,
 I saw a Lion in black
 A lioness drenched in red
 Stilettoes defining her sharpness of sunlight
 Umbrella adding protection instead!




Monika Lambekar

Missing my groom
 Sitting here in a red in this room
 Wishing him to come running to me
 With a bunch or a single red rose
 Proposing me showering his love

Kaun ho tum ...

 Tere maasum sawaalon ka

Ek alhad sa jawaab, mere andaaz mein...

In conversation with Subhrajyoti Parida...

Subhrajyoti Parida, Author of the book of poems, "Bouquet-of emotions, feelings and thoughts" is a graduate in Mechanical Engg. from Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Odisha and holds a Post Graduate degree in Industrial Engg. from National Institute of Industrial Engg. (NITIE), Mumbai, specializing in Supply Chain & Operations Management and is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).

Currently, he is employed in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and residing in Bangalore. He hails from the temple city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.When not managing supply chain, he loves spending time in poetry, photography, traveling, and of course, spending quality time with his sweet wife and his family.

1.What according to you makes a true poet?
Ans: A true poet, in my opinion, is one whose only objective is to touch the heart, mind and soul of the readers in general, without concentrating on showing-off his or her vocabulary or literary prowess.


2.Every pen has an inspiration behind it. What is it for you?
Ans: In the beginning, writing poetry was a mere pastime, the objective being to keep those poems safe and sound in my laptop or to publish a few on my personal blogs. My poetry has been always inspired from a plethora of themes such as nature, earth, human ambition, war, peace etc. But of late, subsequent to my Mother’s sad demise due to cancer, the primary source of my inspiration has been my late Mother and the mothers in general, in all forms.


3. What do you think about the newly emerged genre "Micro-poetry"
Ans: I think it is a brilliant idea; in fact, a revolutionary one because Micro-poetry, I personally believe, requires great deal of creativity and literary skill in packing countless ideas and emotions within a couple of lines.


4.Tell us about your book.
Ans: ‘Bouquet-of emotions, feelings and thoughts..’ is my debut book which is basically an anthology of poems based on a plethora of themes such as mother, motherhood, goddess, love, war, peace, ambition, nature, earth, soldier, freedom etc. besides trying to draw attention of the society toward one of the most disgraceful stigmas in our society i.e, female foeticide.
I have dedicated this book to my late Mother and is available online both in paperback (http://www.amazon.in/dp/9385783238/)

Kindle version is available at
(https://www.amazon.in/dp/B06WRV55HM)

5. Share a memorable moment that happened to you post Bouquet - of feelings, emotions and thoughts.
Ans: One would like to share one memorable experience of mine which is pertaining to one my readers. She, after completing my book, shared with me her experience that she, who stays in a hostel away from family, literally started weeping recollecting her mother and home. Initially I felt bad for making a girl cry but later I realized, my poems could strike the right chord among some readers, making them love, respect and be more affectionate on their mother and parents in general.

*Rapid-fire with Shon Alley*

1. Currently reading: 1962 THE WAR THAT WASN’T by Shiv Kunal Verma

2. Life apart from writing: My dear family, 9 to 5 job, photography and travelling.

3. Family means : Dad, Wife, Sister and dear late Mother

4. Genres that attract you: Mythology and Mythological based fiction, War

5. Upcoming book/ projects: An untitled work based on my Mother’s fight against cancer and her sadful demise eventually. It has also poetry part which has poems dedicated to my Mother and all the mothers in general in all forms.

*Fictionia Quiz*

1. Three most favourite poets:
Ms. Swapna Behera , Mr. Sudipto Behera and Mr. Darshan Panda

2. Three frequently used words:
 Heart, mind and soul

3. All-time favourite book: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – this has been my favorite book since childhood days

* Spill out the beans of your success to the aspiring poets & writers.

It may sound stereotype but it is true: perseverance, hard work and self-belief are the ingredients to success irrespective of what field you are in and the same holds good for poets and writers too.

* Your take on Fictionia and this interview.

I love following the posts with #Fictionia by Shon Alley since they are quite intruguing, inquisitive and witty. Keep it up 
Interview is quite an interesting one and never gave a scope to the writer to manufacture the answers as per their interest. I really enjoyed it !

Thanks for this wonderful conversation Subhrajyoti Parida & best wishes for your future endeavours.

A Women's March

  A seed was sown in the womb of the patriarchal Mother earth, aiming for 'HER' first cry, had dreamt a life till eternity, but those eyes of innocence failed to read the gravity in the veracity of situation emerged in the lethargic, narrow-minded society, and those eyes never witnessed their first blink... They were under an impression of weird, vague mentality...And were shut forever...
        The cry once heard was mourn to make her listen to crumple voices of death.
         But who cares ........For HER grave....
    Sssshhhhh! Don't you see, she was sleeping...Let her sleep forever. Who cares, she was forced to sleep forever.
      Miles away from the reality,soon might turn to fact...“ When those oceans will boil in the calmness of moon, when those bright mornings will turn to gloomy nights, when all books shall be read open, when satan will enervate the glory of the Lords,
When that pen will refrain to ink the paper, once those love birds will be each other's malicious counterparts, when those souls of MAN should be  burnt and burried alive.....!” At that moment, she'll rested in peace with an unanswered question torturing her soul..“Why Me?"
         “Before that only tear had dropped down,
          Before my first breath made a sighing sound,
          Before I could cross the labyrinth of that earth,
          Those evils cuts my times of mirth...
          The mud junked in those young nails,
          That pain I suffered, got relentless in scales,
          To be a slave, I had a birth for thee,
          That slaughtered body still screams “Why Me?"
     She never loose hope, she is the creator of every life that evolves, A women, A girl, A spine of this so called “MALE” world, standing tall above the men, it's the WOMEN POWER, THAT NEVER DIES, THAT NEVER CRIES....
       A HAPPY WOMEN'S MARCH!

By Darshan Oza


14 Top Trending Valentine's Quotes

1) Thanks to power-cut, together lighted up candle.
- Eustacia Sinjini


2) Trekking atop mountains, we shared cold and love.
- Darshana Chedda


3) Oops! Called your name in my sleep...
- Geethanjali Dilip


4) Why creating Romeo-Juliet,
Let's be F.R.I.E.N.D.S
- Tanushree Das


5) Unnoticed,our lips met: The First Kiss
- Tanuj Mandhyan


6) Make me the Volcano, hurling glacial water.
- Nishika Patole


7) What is Crush?
Something out of reach.
- Nishant Singh Thakur


8) She opened the closet, out fell wind-chimes.
- Ampat Koshy


9) Tumhari chai jaisi baatein, dil ko chugayi...
- Yana


10) Wife is reality, you a repeating dream.
- Sourav Mukherjee


11) Mr. Writer stop writing fiction, notice me!
- Shelo Aura


12) Raat ke teen
Baahein teri
Neendh behtareen...
- Aditya Siva Sai


13) Thanks for giving name to our efforts.
- Parul Singh


14) I won't buy you ring but BOOKS.
- Sandeep Hati

Link to more interesting quotes:
https://www.facebook.com/TheDrenchedWriter

Kala Ghoda Literature Festival 2017

A Glimpse from Kala Ghoda Literature Festival




The name Kala Ghoda means Black Horse, a reference to the presence of a black stone statue of King Edward VII(as the then Prince of Wales) mounted on a horse that was built by Jewish businessman and philanthropist Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, although this statue was removed from the precinct in 1965 and subsequently placed inside the Byculla Zoo.
Kala Ghoda, the name is significant enough with youth. The most awaited fest of Mumbai begins every year in month of february and this year was another year where the festival witnessed all over the globe irrespective of the fields they belonged to. It isn't just confined to a fest, it gets the entire Mumbai together and pains a magnificent picturesque of art combining the culture . Each person celebrates Art on a grand horizon. A fiesta for artisans and art-lovers is what it offers.
Another most awaited time for photographers too. They try their best in attaining perfect captures in vivid dimensions.
From implementation of stalls , installation of lights or performance by various artists from theatres to nukkad-plays. Along with Arts, literature, music, drama it is majorly the celebration of humanity as well.
An innovative installation that grabbed the eye balls of most of the visitors was the horse who was completely injured but he was standing straight which depicted the courage to move ahead and the showed stability in him. Another   exceptional thing was the Fortis hospital stall where they were promoting organ donation and another one was "My Hair For Cancer" by Richfeel and Nargis Dutt foundation. The creamy treat of cake by Monginis was a irresistable craving delight.
Coming to an initiative that took major attention of the people was the wishing tree, an installation put up by Bajaj, where people shared their ideas on how to conserve energy. It was put at both the places, one in oval maidan and the other at Kala Ghoda lane.
Overall, every corner of Kala Ghoda Festival had the entire South Mumbai spinning with enthusiasm then be it with food, music, drama, plays, fun-fair or dance.
Everything in a spick and span manner!








Article by Prachi Jain

Listen ...

                                             Last night looking up the scintillating sky,
                                                 Another hope, a wish for the night
                                                      That you realise the passion
                                              I hold for you somewhere deep inside.
                                    The time I fell in love, my heart was ablaze on fire
                                         Being with you always, was my only desire.
                 The day I own your soul not just your body, will give up everything you need
                                     A lifetime of promises and an universe full of dreams,
                                           For only I know what that exactly means.
                                            And I swear it would be nowhere wrong
                                            Two hearts, one love will hold it strong.
                                              At times in solitude, you are the one I miss
                                 Deeply engrossed down on the thought of our first kiss...
                                         Your tender majestic love is just hard to resist.
                                                    My love! It hardly costs a dime
                                                      For you, to stay always mine.
                                      Now my crestless heart flies with the angel's wings,
                                          "Ah! Another girl in Love" the Cupid sings,
                                             And the fog around forms Our wedding rings.


                                                                 - Shonali Dey

                               ( A Poem from my book " When Cupid Struck its Arrow "  )