Poets International.com

Today is Boxing Day. Still, I had time to read some of my mail and discover yet another interesting website in relation to the world of POETRY. Poet and editor MOHAMMED FAKHRUDDIN manages this site named Poets International.com

I quote directly:

"Poets International gives global representation to literature in the English language through critical and scholarly studies, original poems and in translation. Particular emphasis is placed on comparative studies. It includes interviews with both established and rising poets, analytical and critical appreciation, new trends and blends in world poetry, and book reviews.

SUBMISSIONS FOR POETS INTERNATIONAL

We welcome Haiku and short poems (maximum up to 20 lines): Sonnet, Limerick, Ghazal, Free Verse, Villanelle, Senryu, Haibun, Tanka, Sitigotyo, Sequences, Renga or any other form must also be original and unpublished."

MOHAMMED FAKHRUDDIN:

He is a journalist, poet, film scriptwriter and film director lives in Bangalore, India. He has authored /edited / published so far over 27 books on poetry and poetics in English language. A recipient of honorary Doctorate in Literature (D.Lit.) in English, from the World Congress of Poets, in 1983, Mr. Fakhruddin has been conducting monthly Poetry Workshops, and All India Poetry Festivals every year, in Bangalore, India, since 1995. He established "Poets International" an exclusively poetry journal in 1983 and launched "Haiku Poetry Movement" in India systematically through his monthly journal "Poets International", since 1995. He coined “ZEN POETRY” that is being written in less than 17 syllables. He is the Founder-President of "The Haiku Society of India", established in 1998. You can read more about poet Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin on the mentioned website.

A POEM:

MOTHER EARTH
-- a villanelle

Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
On thy axis and revolve round the sun?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within!

Treasure-trove of nature forms thy domain,
Man has found diamonds in the classic urn,
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?

In search of wealth, ruthless man digs deep in,
Digs out gold, oil, gas, petrol turn by turn;
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

Man builds skyscrapers rupturing thy skin,
Linking river to river is no fun;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?

Watertight compartments of land chum in,
Man-made issues spurt as volcanoes burn
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes strike in.
Civilizations rise and fall turn by turn;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

Well done Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, and wish you the best.
Visit: www.poetsinternational.com

Beautiful website and poetry from India

It's Christmas Day 2009! It's the perfect occasion to wish all my poet and writer friends from all over the world PEACE, HEALTH and INSPIRATION.

I myself have already received many Greetings from different poets and writers from various countries including Italy, USA, Romania, Greece, India, Hong Kong, Holland, Brazil, and Africa.
I have just visited a beautiful and interesting website from India, authored by Dr. T. Ashok Chakravarthy, D. Litt. The link is: http://www.poetrywaves.com/

Dr. Chakravarthy writes regularly and through his poetry he remembers important days and occasions such as the International Day of Non-Violence, Tree Day, Global Day of Climate Change, International Day of Peace, International Human Rights Day, and others.


One can also submit his/her poetry.


Well done Dr. Chakravarthy and Greetings to all poets and writers from India.

Other poems about Christmas - Teresinka and Louis Carlos Pereira

MAJESTIC HOLIDAY SEASON

Sounds of winter
Snow
Sleepless night
In the cold
Surrounded by family
A simple wish of hope
And a free soul
I whisper
My King is born
The sight of a star
On a cloudless night.

LUIS CARLOS PEREIRA


MESSAGE FOR THE SEASON

May the fire of love
crackle in your heart.
May your warmth embrace those
who approach you with or without words
or with hopeful eyes.

The holidays and the season of joy
can bring an implacable and sad memory
of the ones who left us alone
or the tedium and solitude with
all kinds of people around us
who don't understand our path.

May we give our best moments to them
and don't ask for anything.
Share our thoughts and our hunger
for life in order to feel more hopeful
and humanely peaceful.

TERESINKA PEREIRA
2009- 2010

Poezija dwar il-Milied ta' Raymond Grech

Il-Milied Taż-Żagarelli


Għaliex bejn fehmtna hemm firda żonqri ħajt
u jċarċru dmija li bħalhom qatt ma rajt?
Għaliex inqalbet dinjietna ta’taħt fuq
u t-tiċħid ħonqilna it-tindin tas-serduq?

Bħal meta stallett jinfed minn wara d-dahar
ħa jxoqq il-laħam tari tal-ħbieb w il-ġar.

Bħal meta l-pinna timtela b'rieq is-semm
u ssir xabla niffieda xxerred id-demm.

Bħal meta t-tfal jitilfu wiċċ il-ħlewwa
u jagħżlu jlejlu ‘l hinn mil-kenn ta' ġewwa.

Bħal meta ż-żgħożija tasal fi tmiemha
b'tingiża ta' labra, ġo sqaq bla ndiema.

Bħal meta ġuf jibda jinseġ tarbija
u sikkina tfellel l-għeruq moħbija.

Bħal meta r-razzizmu jagħsar qaswalla
ħalli joħroġ lewnu fuq tila tqalla.

Bħal meta jittertaq ġisem għall-ħelsien
ġewwa l-Palestina fuq għatba x’imkien.

Bħal meta jżernaq jum sabiħ mingħajr ċpar
u f'ħakka t'għajn ittir kamr'oħra tan-nar.

Għax il-Milied geżwruh biż-żagarelli
u ‘l Ġesù nsewh fl-infieq u fil-burdelli!
U l-vjaġġ qasir tagħna sboxxla mid-destin
u fuq ċattra sirna nixbhu klandestin!


Raymond Grech
Tas-Sliema

Christmas Cribs from Malta and Gozo

Every year at Christmas it is a local tradition to build different cribs for both islanders and foreigners to visit. The main reason is to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is also a question of creativity.

Interested people can visit static cribs, mechanical and moving cribs, and even live cribs. This year one can see live cribs in Hal Lija (Malta) and in Ghajnsielem (Gozo), this year named Bethlehem f'Ghajnsielem. One could hear local and traditional music and see local crafts in the making.

Tourists can also ask for local Christmas sweets such as qaghaq tal-ghasel (honey rings), imbuljuta (a kind of hot drink made of chocolate, chestnuts and orange peel), but

also Chrismas log, mince pies, amongst others.

One can visit the local cribs both during mornings and evenings. If possible visit the live cribs during evenings when the lights are on
:-)

Nuovo Libro di Gabriele Venditti

Assiotea, la donna che sfidò Platone e l’Accademia

Martedí 5 gennaio 2010, alle ore 16, sarà presentato a Isernia, Biblioteca Comunale “Michele Romano” (Piazza S. Maria, 5 - tel. 0865.50772 e-mail bibliois1@virgilio.it), l’ultimo romanzo storico, dal titolo “Assiotea, la donna che sfidò Platone e l’Accademia”, di Adriano Petta, l’autore di “Ipazia, vita e sogni di una scienziata del IV secolo”. Il libro è edito da Stampa Alternativa, collana “Eretica Speciale”

Interverranno, oltre all’autore, Gabriele Venditti (scrittore e direttore della Biblioteca), Giuseppe Napolitano (scrittore, poeta), Amerigo Iannacone (scrittore, editore), Ida Di Ianni (poetessa e giornalista), Francesca D’Uva (saggista).

Adriano Petta, nativo di Carpinone, vive a Ladispoli. Studioso di storia della scienza e di storia medievale ha pubblicato numerosi libri. Quest’ultimo libro, costituisce, con “Eresia pura” e “Ipazia, vita e sogni”, una trilogia sul tema della lotta tra ragione e religione.

Siamo a Fliunte, Ellade, nel 350 a. C. Un misterioso assassino uccide per impossessarsi di un antico codice. Forse nel “Grande Ordinamento” di Leucippo si nasconde un terribile segreto. E mentre nelle miniere d’oro della Tracia gli schiavi rinvengono statuette dal bel volto di fanciulla che elevano a simbolo di libertà, nell’Accademia platonica di Atene, l’astronomo Eudosso di Cnido con quelle statuine sta costruendo una strana mappa. Assiotea, inconsapevole eroina, si ritrova al centro di un intrico che farà di lei la prima donna ammessa all’Accademia. Aiutata da personaggi eccezionali come Iperide, Diogene e Focione e avversata da giganti come Aristotele e Platone, lotta per far abolire la schiavitù e mutare la disumana condizione della donna, e nello stesso tempo per svelare il mistero delle statuine e dell’antico codice di Leucippo. Ma un implacabile “Guardiano” vigila affinché il segreto non venga svelato, uccidendo chiunque si avvicini troppo all’arcano della “casa del cielo”.

COME UNA FIABA di Ilaria Cervo

E` appena uscito il libro Come una fiaba, di Ilaria Cervo.

Ilaria Cervo, maestra di scuola primaria, laureata in Scienze dell’Educazione, vive a Caiazzo.

Nella Prefazione al libro, Amerigo Iannacone, scrive cosi:

«“La vita è mistero” scrive Ilaria Cervo. Un mistero di fronte al quale non tutti siamo portati ad assumere lo stesso atteggiamento e a comportarci allo stesso modo. La vita è un mistero che ognuno tenta di risolvere secondo la propria sensibilità. Ma per dare un senso alla vita bisogna anche sentirsi partecipi della vita degli altri, sentire la loro sofferenza e adoperarsi per lenirla. Questo è uno dei messaggi che scaturiscono dalla lettura di questo libro. [...] Nel volumetto non troviamo che messaggi positivi. Ma, al di là dei messaggi, questo libro, piccolo e intenso, è anche piacevole da leggere. Uno stile limpido e accattivante. Si legge “come una fiaba”, appunto. È un racconto garbato e fluente: le sue pagine si possono scorrere in meno di mezz’ora, ma non ci lasciano indifferenti. Qualcosa in noi cambia, perché il testo tocca le nostre corde piú intime e ci lascia sperare in un mondo migliore».

Carmel G Cauchi - Poezija

NITĦASSEB

Dak li dari kien vulgari
illum arti fuq il-karti!
Min mhux spint se jibqa’ lura,
xogħlu mhux letteratura.

Il-Milied ħelu ta’ dari
sar festa oħra, mhux Milied,
fejn l-Imwieled xejn ma nsemmu
biex ma’ ħadd ma jkollna nkwiet.

Dak li dari kien maħbub
għax għalina kien mislub
illum żejjed inqisuh
u ninsistu li nwarrbuh.

U nixegħlu xemgħa oħra
f’ġieħ id-dinja tal-progress
fejn iż-żwieġ meqjus legali
bejn persuni bl-istess sess.

Imma jien, raġel ta’ dari,
ma nifhimx dak li madwari
qed iseħħ ma’ kullimkien
u nitħasseb
jekk hux kollox rasu ’l isfel
jew inkella rasi ’l isfel
qed ngħix jien.

Carmel G. Cauchi
10.12.2009

Il-ktieb bhala rigal ghal dan il-Milied

Il-ktieb huwa kumpanija għal min kiber miegħu. Għal min il-ktieb ma kienx parti minn ħajtu sa minn meta kien ċkejken, dan huwa diffiċli ferm biex jifhmu. Il-ktieb huwa ħabib, u jingħata bħala rigal mingħand min huwa verament ħabib tiegħek. Għal min qed jistenna fi kju li ma jispiċċa qatt hemm il-ktieb biex jgħaddilu siegħa sagħtejn żmien li mingħajru jkun żmien moħli u li ta’ min tinsieh. Għal min jinsab mitfugħ f’sodda għal jiem twal ta’ konvalexxenza, il-ktieb huwa kumpanija leali u li tgħinu jinsa ftit mill-piż tal-waqt. Għal min qed jivvjaġġa fuq tal-linja filgħodu kmieni, jew qed jaqsam il-fliegu lejn ix-xogħol jew lura lejn id-dar hemm il-ktieb bħala kumpanija. Il-ktieb jgħin lil dak li jkun jinqata’ mll-ħajja ta’ kuljum anki għal ftit waqtiet qosra u jidħol f’dinja oħra, b’personaġġi u b’avventuri oħrajn.

Ktieb verament tajjeb jgħinek tinqata’ mill-istorbju ta’ madwarek u ssib l-ekwilibriju ġewwa fik, minn dak li mhuwiex influwenzat mill-ebda ħaġa esterna. Il-ktieb huwa ħabib li min verament japprezzah jirritorna għalih kull waqt ħieles li jkollu, anki biex isib ftit waqtiet ta’ serħan, ta’ riflessjoni, ta’ sliem.

Ta’ min niftakru li għal dan il-Milied nistgħu nagħtu rigal differenti, rigal li jibqa’, rigal li jista’ jintuża minnek u anki minn dawk ta’ madwarek, u ta’ warajk: mela agħti ktieb bħala rigal. Mill-ġdid prosit tassew lill-KNK għal din l-inizzjattiva sabiħa tiegħu.

Photos from Gozo

The beautiful valley and bay of Xlendi:

The narrow streets of Rabat (Victoria)

and corners of Medieval City, the

Cittadella: