Author Archives: Heidi Mueller

World Poetry Celebrates 13, year old Swarit Srivastava!

 

Ariadne’s Notes:  The World Poetry Cafe radio show and the website is honoured to welcome  Swarit Srivastavawith his deep, strong poem that he wrote for his mother for Mother’s Day. It was read on May 28 on the World Poetry Cafe radio show.  We have special permission to post his photo and poem from his mother and Swarit Srivastava.

Link: http://www.coopradio.org/content/world-poetry-caf%C3%A9-9

Recently several young poets that had come on the show years before and are now young adults have contacted me about coming back again. One such young adult will be joining us on June 11 to be aired on the 18th. Here is her link from the site: https://worldpoetry.ca/?p=7979

Bio 

Swarit Srivastava (USA). He wrote this poem for me on Mother’s Day. He’s a seventh-grader and his favorite past time is playing chess. He’s also received many awards for his poetry such as the first place in the reflections contest and the top ten in the Creative Communications contest. 

 

Timeless Love

Once upon a time

New eyes gazed on the world

Shining with the  promise of life

And the fear of change

Roaring emotions became a tidal wave

Rising and consuming all other thought

Days had gone by until reality stuck like a stone-

And shaking hands found each other as they faced life yet to come

A fire had started

Burning bright with determination

 And strong with excitement

Yet time flowed like a river

Threatening to extinguish everything

Yet it breathed

Night fell but the mind remained  awake

Playing out the dreams of a new world and the nightmare of a broken heart

And change marched on with the rise of the sun

And the emptiness of the stomach

Life changed as care intensified

And doubt grew like a weed

It took root in the mind

And refused to leave

So this grand unknown was researched

With a desperate mind trying to find solace in the fact

And then it happened

The first sign of a new life that was soon to come

A hit that changed it all

Doubt remained, yes

But the shears of hope had cut all but the deepest wounds

Passing months felt like years

As a tough yet beautiful time continued

The mind craved distractions that were fulfilled in heartbeats

All while the fire of courage burned along the flow of time

And the day of longing arrived

A time which led to a familiar place

Yet an unfamiliar one at the same time

Pain followed

A horrible pain that lasted for hours

Until the time came

As the task which most will never perform occurred

And the eyes of a newborn looked into its mother’s with the same promise of life

And the fear of change

That she had once felt

All doubt washed away

And a timeless love was born.

-Swarit Srivastava

  • Bio and permission for the photo and poem from his mother Rachana and Swarit Srivastava.

World Poetry Celebrates Aabha Rosy Vatsa!

 

 

 

Ariadne’s Notes: We had the great honour to welcome the prolific poet and author from India, Aabha Rosy Vatsa on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show, 100.5 FM. It was so exciting to have her join us from India to celebrate her new book, one of many that she has been writing during COVID 19.

First book launch from India! Aabha Rosy Vatsa with her wonderful book on the World Poetry Cafe radio show.

Listen to the linkhttp://www.coopradio.org/content/world-poetry-caf%C3%A9-92

“The Gift of Life is more than just an autobiography. It is a riveting narrative of the intricate life of an Indian woman, spread over five decades, and her insatiable thirst to decipher the reasons and purpose of her life’s happenings.

The narrative takes the reader on a journey through Punjab, Allahabad, Zambia, Chandigarh, New Delhi, and finally anchors at Faridabad, where the author spent most of her later years. More than the sequence of events, it is the deep experiences of life and their meanings, which will captivate the interest of the reader. Filled with both personal anecdotes and divine experiences, The Gift of Life will take the reader on an exciting journey.

This book will engage readers of all ages, cutting across caste, creed, and gender, as the soul of the narrative relies on the human element and quest for life’s purpose and the resulting happiness.

It is an immensely engaging read that is bound to leave footprints in the reader’s heart.” Source: Kindle books.

Product details, Format: Kindle Edition, File Size: 1199 K, Print Length: 198 pages.Publisher: Notion Press (14 April 2020)Sold by Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited.Language: English ASIN: B087391M3YText-to-Speech: Enabled.

World Poetry Celebrates WP Director Oswald Okaitei!

Ariadne.s Notes: The World Poetry Cafe CFRO 100.5 FM with hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Victor Swartzman proudly presents Oswald Okaitei,

 First Book launch for  Aabha Rosy Vatsa from India with her new book: The Gift of Life, Kindle. 

Stories by Sharon Rowe and Victor Shwartzman.

On now on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show featured e-poet: Oswald Okaitei and World Poetry Director! 

Listen to the show!  http://www.coopradio.org/content/world-poetry-caf%C3%A9-92

FOR THE SAVERS OF LIFE

(For the Frontline Workers)

And for cyclic seasons

—Now and ever—

We shall pronounce your names

And write you down in the pages of history:

We shall tell

The come afters of your bravery

And altruism—which you

Offered to save a life from the venom of this pandemic;

We shall speak of

How you chose to carry the cross of thorns

For men: bleeding to death

That life should not fall at the feet of an army of viruses;

And, we shall tell of

How you saw devouring flames roaring at you

And yet, never chose

To choose your lives over the lives of the many.

Yes, today is night

But for your unceasing strives, the sun

Shall find its way

Up in the sky again for a new day

And then we

Shall come back to life again, renewed;

And shall hug again,

And kiss again, and shake hands again…

But till then,

Savers of life, the war is still on

So be safe & be sure

To return home after this long scary night!

All rights reserved. (C)

Oswald Okaitei © 2020

Oswald Okaitei is a multi-award-winning young Ghanaian poet, spoken word artiste, and a playwright. He is currently a World Poetry Director in Ghana and has eight poetry collections to his credit. As one of the promising fresh breaths to poetry spoken word, he has shared performing platforms with poetry /spoken word legends as Prof. Atukwei Okai, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho, Muta Baruka, Rocky Dawuni, among others. Oswald represented Ghana at the 2016 Storymoja Festival in Kenya and Babishai Poetry Festival in Uganda. In 2016, he has judged the Pan-African Poet/Spoken word artiste in Ghana. This poem comes at the time when the whole world has come together as one people in a common fight against one.

We are so proud of him!  He is a shining light in the world.