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| Reading club members with Brian Mendonca. |
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| Brian interacting with college students. |
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| Fr. Gabriel and Prof. Barretto with Brian. |
-Brian Mendonca
Today I had an invigorating session reading my poems. I was invited by the Reading Club of Rosary College, Navelim, Goa.
On the way I dropped in to fabindia, Margao and picked up the trendy Kalamkari bush shirt I am wearing. A writer has always got to use one's kalam (pen), I mused, in life.
As the students leafed through copies of my latest collection Jasmine City: Poems from Delhi, I encouraged them to select a poem which they liked. Then we read the poem together after I provided the context. Poems like 'Call Me,' 'l am not alone,' '123,' 'August 15,' 'Bianca, 26,' and 'Jasmine City,' were some of the poems requested.
We discussed the stylistic devices like repetition in 'Call Me,' and the themes of the poems. The poem 'Shatabdi' written in Hindi was inspired on the Shatabdi Express train enroute to Kalka.
'Sleeve of Care' referencing Shakespeare's soliloquy on sleep is about the homeless who find various places to sleep. '123' is about a manic car ride in a Corsa. Along the way we encountered Pink Floyd, momentarily losing our reason.
Ms. Estibeiro, faculty of the Department of English - under whose aegis the club blossomed - raised a point about the lack of confidence to write or value one's own poetry. I said I felt the same way when I began writing. But the saving grace was that I wrote the poems and tucked them away.
Sometimes something which seems banal to you may inspire someone else. I read my poem 'Afternoon' as an example. I urged the students to write their own poems. They could always publish them on their own later. The ISBN was free.
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GPS photos taken by Reading Club, Rosary College, Navelim, Goa on Saturday, 16 March 2024. Photo below taken by Brian Mendonca on the same day. Updated 17/3/24.
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