Winning the 21st Century Emily Dickinson Award

When I signed up for the 21-Day Write a Poem a Day Challenge from Bookleaf Publishing in October 2024, I had an eye on the 21st Century Emily Dickinson Award. I was determined to win it. I adore Dickison's poetry. That haunting verse:

"Because I could not stop for Death—

He kindly stopped for me—

The Carriage held but just Ourselves— 

And Immortality."

Wow.

I was fortunate that I could mine my previous work. I have four unpublished novels waiting. As well as stories and poems. Perhaps the novels will never see the light because they are pretty autobiographical. And I would not like to irk those connected to me. So I extracted fitting excerpts from my work. It was easy because I typically write poetic prose and prose poems were the perfect choice for the challenge. Of course I read a whole lot of prose poems first. It was interesting to discover writing I had not encountered before.

Baudelaire Births The Prose Poem in the 1850s

In a private letter to his publisher, Baudelaire, who is credited with birthing the prose poem, writes: "Which of us has not, in his ambitious days, dreamed of the miracle of poetic prose, musical without rhythm and without rhyme, supple enough and choppy enough to fit the soul's lyrical movements, the jolts of conciousness?"

Illustrating My Book

My 21st Century Emily Dickinson Award

One of the best things that happened with this 21-day Write a Poem a Day Challenge was creating illustrations for each of the 11 poems in my book as well as the illustration for the book jacket. And guess where I got the inspiration? Artificial Intelligence, AI, of course. All I had to do was offer the correct prompts. It took some hours to get the right images, but I did get them. I used these as reference for my illustrations. It was such a great feeling – being able to showcase my writing as well as my art skills.

Book Illustration for 'Kali's Lament'

'Kali's Lament' – the Longest Poem in My Book

This is the longest prose poem in my book. It is the only piece of writing I created to music. Peter Gabriel's beautiful soundtrack for the film The Last Temptation. I needed an extra shove at the time. I had never tackled a tale from the Indian myths before. I chose to retell the story of Nala and Damayanti from the POV of the demon of the Kaliyuga, Kali, who possesses King Nala. This is not the Goddess Kali. Years ago in college, while doing my English Honours, I had been struck by John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and the way he had turned the antihero Lucifer into his hero. It was a challenge. And perhaps I was exploring my Dark Side. For a bit of the writer always goes into his protagonist.

Many years ago, when I submitted the tale to the Internet Writing Workshop run by the University of Pennsylvania (I am a long-time member), a critter called it 'exemplary' and suggested I turn it into an epic poem.

When I sent it to the late Roger Culpan, who used to run the Warrington Writer's Workshop (I discovered him thanks to my excellent coach at The London School of Journalism, Dr Hilary Johnson), he said it was amazing that I told the entire tale in the first person. And that it reminded him of the writing of Rabindranath Tagore. That made my day, my month, my years that followed. Professional feedback is crucial for writers. We don't write in a vacuum. We write to be read and, hopefully, understood.

Here is the first paragraph:

I have been watching and waiting.

I have admired Damayanti's loveliness from the abyss of my  nothingness. Swans with wings of gold carry messages of love  between Damayanti and her Nala.

I have always been ugly.

How then expect the delicate lotus-eyed beauty, slender-waisted maiden to

desire me?

I am Darkness to her Light.

And Nala, he is the glorious sun itself.

He is my only chance. Through him I shall possess her. I hear  her say, "My lord, Nala, why is your touch so cold tonight?" For  my hands, my invisible hands, that become hands only through him, are cold always.

 Damayanti chooses Nala above men, above immortals. She could  have chosen me at her swayamvara. But when I started for the Choosing, the gods laughed at my late coming.

Yes, I was too late.

She could have chosen me. Yes, if I had been beautiful. She would have never known the ugliness within me. Yes, I could have appeared beautiful to her. Yet to what end? She loves Nala. She has loved him for a long time.

Find my book on Amazon India as well as Flipkart.