Intervista mal-poeta zaghzugh Andrew Sciberras

(1) X’igaghlek tikteb il-poezija? Kif tiddeskrivi lil poeta? Il-poeta ghandu responsabbiltajiet fis-socjeta`?

Għalija li nikteb il-poeżija huwa bżonn. Jiġu waqtiet f’ħajti li ma nkunx nista’ nrażżan lili nnifsi u bilfors ikolli naqbad f’idejja karta u pinna biex nikteb l-eqqel emozzjonijiet. Fil-fehma tiegħi l-akbar poeta hu Alla, u l-kapolavur tiegħu huwa l-univers. Kull ħlejqa taħt il-kappa tax-xemx trid iġġarrab xi forma jew oħra ta’ tbatija, u dan hu l-misteru tal-eżistenza. Għalhekk il-poeżija tinkiteb biss bid-demm. Jien nemmen li l-poeta ma jistax jibqa’ indifferenti quddiem it-tbatija. Huwa għandu jkun il-leħen ta’ dawk kollha li qed ibatu fis-silenzju. Kellna u għad għandna poeti li għax kitbu kontra kull forma ta’ inġustizzja, batew u għadhom qed ibatu f’ħajjithom. Il-versi tagħhom huma bħal stallett li jferi fil-laħam il-ħaj.

(2) Mill-Ezilju ta’ Ruhi hi r-raba’ antologija poetika li qed tippubblika. Kif twieldet fik din il-kilba biex tikteb il-poezija?

Bdejt inħarbex l-ewwel versi tiegħi meta kont għadni żagħżugħ. Kien il-mibki poeta Carmel Attard li wara li kont urejtu xi xogħol tiegħi kien ħeġġiġni biex nippubblikah. Illum għall-grazzja t’Alla ppubblikajt ir-raba’ antoloġija tiegħi.

(3) Din l-ahhar gabra poetika tieghek kif tvarja minn dawk ta’ qabilha? Hemm sens ta’ kontinwita`?

Bħalma l-ħajja hija vjaġġ li għandha l-proċess naturali tagħha, anki l-poeżija taqa’ taħt dawn l-istess regoli. Il-kontinwità tinsab f’kull ħaġa li titħarrek.

(4) Il-poezija tieghek ixxaqleb lejn il-kumpless u tirrikjedi bagalja kulturali wiesgha biex tinftiehem. Xi tghid dwar dan u x’tahseb dwar il-poezija semplici u diretta?

Dan l-element duwalista tal-kumpless u s-sempliċi mhuwa xejn għajr munita b’żewġt uċuħ. Ħu l-ħajja tal-bniedem, tevolvi mis-sempliċità u timxi lejn il-kumplessità, u finalment, terġa’ lura lejn is-sempliċità. Ċiklu interminabbli li kull essri jrid iġarrab.
Kull forma t’arti fosthom il-poeżija tidħol f’dan il-kwadru, li hu suġġett ta’ din il-liġi naturali.

(5) Inti temmen fil-kitba tal-poezija bhala espressjoni artistika biss, jew thoss li ghandha ggorr fiha messagg ta’ xi tip?

Il-kittieb qed jgħix f’epoka li irrevokabbilment huwa suġġett għaliha. Jekk toqgħod tqis, tintebaħ li hija insinifikanti meta tpoġġiha f’dan l-univers tant vast u fl-istess ħin misterjuż. Kif għidt l-ewwel il-poeta għandu jkun il-leħen ta’ dawk kollha li qed ibatu fis-silenzju, u mhux qed neskludi l-annimali. Fl-annimali Alla ħalla l-marka tiegħu li mhi xejn għajr l-imħabba. Wieħed mir-rwoli tal-poeta hu li bi vrusu għandu jwassal messaġġ ta’ ġustizzja soċjali. Il-poeta għandu jkun il-politiku li mhux f’partit politiku. Fuq kollox nemmen li jekk kittieb – bniedem ma jafx għeruqu, la jaf fejn qiegħed u wisq anqas triqtu. Sfortunatament, ħafna Maltin ma jafux għeruqhom u għalhekk jinsabu fi sqaq mudlam.

(6) Xi tghid dwar il-qasam tal-poezija hawn Malta? U x’tahseb dwar l-Ghaqdiet tal-Malti?

Wasal iż-żmien li l-klikek jinqatgħu darba għal dejjem. Xi wħud jaħsbu li huma omnipotenti u omnisapjenti. Għandna għaqdiet li qed jaħdmu għal rashom. L-awturi jridu jaħdmu flimkien u jaqsmu l-esperjenzi tagħhom jekk veru rridu li l-letteratura tagħna tkompli tistagħna. Wasal il-waqt li xi ħadd jieħu l-inizjattiva li joħloq forum letterarju fuq l-internet fejn il-kittieba jkunu jistgħu jaqsmu xogħlijiethom u jwasslu l-letteratura lil dawk li jużaw dan is-servizz. Naħseb li tkun idea tajba li jinfetaħ post fejn il-kittieba jkunu jistgħu jiltaqgħu bejniethom. F’dan il-post għandu jkun hemm għad-dispożizzjoni dawk il-kotba li ġew ippubblikati biex jintużaw mill-kittieba u mill-pubbliku. Imma l-aktar ħaga importanti hi li nagħtu aktar spazju lill-kittieba żgħażagħ jekk irridu nkomplu nseddqu l-letteratura Maltija.


(7) Fl-antologiji poetici tieghek dejjem tinkludi ghadd ta’ ritratti ta’ certu livell estetiku. Ghaliex dan?

Kull forma t’arti tista’ tippenetra sal-ibgħad irkejjen ta’ ruħ il-bniedem, u dan huwa aktar minn biżżejjed. Jien nemmen li kull forma t’arti toħroġ mill-istess sors, bħal meta għandek siġra bi zkuk differenti, u hawnhekk qed nitkellem fuq ruħ il-bniedem. Id-differenza tinsab biss fil-medjum li juża l-artist. Wasalna fl-assurdità li rridu nippremjaw il-poeżija, imma dan il-fattur ma jissorprendini xejn għax is-sistema qed tħaddan dawn il-kriterji għal bosta raġunijiet. Hekk kif barri jinqatel naqra naqra mill-matador, dan qed jiġri lil ruħ il-bniedem.

(8) Xi tghid dwar l-originalita` fuq naha u l-influwenzi diretti jew indiretti ta’ poeti ohrajn li jixirfu fil-versi ta’ min jikteb fuq in-naha l-ohra, fil-qasam tal-poezija?

Kif għidt l-ewwel taħt il-kappa tax-xemx m’hawn xejn ġdid. Biex nagħti eżempju jien u kittieba bikrija ktibna f’epoka u f’kuntest soċjo-politiku differenti. Rajna d-dinja mil-lenti tagħna, sawwarna kitbietna fuq dak kollu li qanqalna u influwenzana, u wzajna l-għodod li kellna għad-dispożizzjoni. Imma jekk tifli sew taħt il-qoxra, tintebaħ li l-bniedem-poeta tal-bieraħ u tal-lum baqa’ dak li jaħseb, iħoss u jġarrab. Iż-żmien ma neżżagħlux il-libsa tal-umanità tiegħu. Il-bniedem baqa’ bniedem.

Interview with poet Arbind Kumar Choudhary from India

1. I must admit that I found the language you use in your poetry quite different from the usual form . Could you please elaborate a bit ?

A.K.C: Free expressions and free thoughts are celestial fires that compel me to adopt a novel style rather than others style howsoever mighty legends they might be at the literary horizon.
Secondly, my heart does not allow to be a mere puppets of the different literary traditions prevalent amidst the creative milieu across the globe . Thirdly , literary tempo, novel thought and poetic wisdom make a poet different from others.

2. What about the large number of exclamation marks and apostrophes in your poem ? An I right to say that yours is also a poetry of protest ,irony, a poetry which wants to make things move and change ?

A.K.C: The large number of exclamation marks and apostrophes symbolize each moment of breath people inhale for sake of life. The massage of my poetic paysage is not only to savage the wage of the earthly cage but also to arouse sensations and literary whirlwind amidst the human beings as a whole.Exploration,innovation,sensation and imagination are the poetic pearls through which I expect changes in the existing pattern of society.

3. How do you react to this statement?Chaudhary’s poetry is midway between being simple and complex at the same time.”

A.K.C: No doubt my poetry is midway between being simple and complex at the same time.But my poetry is near simplicity rather than complexity.Simplicity of languages, words, expressions etc is my poetic parlance through which complexity is avoided for sake of muse lovers.To convert complexity in to simplicity is the poetic quality of first water.

4. Do you believe that poetry should be only a play of words and art for arts sake,or bear only a message,or both?

A.K.C: The portry is neither a play of words nor art for art’s sake. The muser is for words what wind hover is for small birds. My poetic massage is such bride that becomes a glittering star amidst the wedding parties of words, arts, and techniques .In other words one can say that these wedding parties accompanied with words, techniques, arts and many more in the disguise of poetic trimming multiply the intensity of the poetic beauty.But how to make a bridge with these things is the part and parcel things poets must be acquainted with.

5. Do poets in India have their organizations, publishers and publications where to voice to their poetry? Some examples?

A.K.C: Though there are a number of literary organizations, publishers and literary journals working separately at many places in many languages in India,yet the situation is not satisfactory for the poets in general and peeping poets in particular.
Having gone through their earnest desires I laid the foundation of two international literary associations: International Association of Poets,Essayists and Novelists(2006) and International Haiku Association(2008)(www.kohinoorjournal.com) in India and started voicing the poets through KOHINOOR, a bi-annual international literary journal from January 2007 onwards.My another bi-annual journal AYUSH is going to be launched from January 2009 .The I.A.P.E.N. publication has also started publishing poetry collections. Here is a list of some other publications:

i) Writers Workshop,Kolkata
ii) International Poets Academy, Chennai
iii) The Home of Letters,Orissa
iv) Prakash Book Depot,Bareilly
v) Poetcrit Publication,H.P
vi) Skylark Publication,Aligarh
vii) Poets Foundation ,Kolkata
viii) Others.

However there is a great challenge for me how to unite and work under one parental organization.

6. From where does Arbind Choudhary get his poetic inspiration?

A.K.C: Spontaneous overflow of divine feelings, sensations and suffering humanities are the things that fire my poetic imagination to its utmost degree inspite of the muddy surroundings I belong .Anuradha ,my sweet heart, also adds fuel to the flames of poetic fire from time to time .The bliss of solitude and sting of the critics enhance my poetic intensity for innovation and exploration.

7. As a human being and as a poet ,which things in life are most important for Arbind Choudhary ?

A.K.C: To be a human being without poetic pigment is like a soulless flesh. To be a poet is better because my love lies in poetry rather than elsewhere.To mould the fetor into an odour is the celestial fire of the muser,times best jewel.The ether of the poetic zether is the fetor if does not replace the fusty of nebulosity in favour of celectial odour across the globe.The poetic paysage pierces the paling hearts,sooths the solitude and stirs sensations for purifications .My maiden wife in life is poetry.

8. Arbind Choudhary and India : things that he loves, things that he wants to see improved ? How do you see India in the future economy wise and culture wise .

A.K.C: The thing I love at utmost degree in India is her cultural prosperity Indians have had from the last five thousand years. The matter I want to see improved is emotional sufferings of Tom. Dick and Harry. Surprisingly, poets protest against disparity of penury rather than emotional precocity through their pitta paysage .
To gain prosperity in penuniary at the feretory of cultural prosperity will really be a pyrrhic victory for the Indians where fragrance of the hilarity will be worse than the pong of the penury. So prosperity achieved at the cost of cultural extinction will be fatal for all.
Sangam Culture that removes precocity will flourish in future in India .
I have little hesitation while I declare that India is going to be a super economic power up to the mid of this century.

Arbind Kr Choudhary, Founding father, I.A.P.E.N&I.H.A.I, India

http://www.kohinoorjournal.com/

Dear poet Arbind Kumar Choudhary, a big THANKS for your cooperation and patience.