I am not a stickler for dates, but time. Time, not as we understand it, but time that has its own wisdom, its own reason to take birth and to just Be.

I had been under a house arrest for one month with a broken foot.

28^th March, 2006 had it’s own wisdom to be born. It was the day when The Little Magazine (www.littlemag.com) was hosting, as part of the TLM Award Ceremony, a daylong event, Meeting the Masters in literature and poetry from South Asia.

I entered the room and my eyes fell on the back of a lady sitting close to the door. On the stage sat Ma (Nabaneeta Dev Sen), Suraiya (Kamala Das) and others. But my eyes could not leave the lady in front. As soon as the little tea break happened, I dashed across and introduced myself. Normally shy of crowds and unknown persons, shame leaves me completely when, I just mustknow someone I meet quite unexpectedly. Thus, delighted with the visiting card she gave me, I was off to my office to return for the afternoon session.

I read the card carefully as I always do - Manjul Bajaj – Natural Resource Economist. And although I did not know what that meant, I knew it then, that I had met another Master.

7^th August, 2007, 7pm, India Habitat Centre.

 

                                          

Yes, on stage, Manjul Bajaj reads her poem, Blessings, as part of The Delhi Poetree celebration of 50 Contemporary Poets, The Living Treasure of Delhi and their poems. Plus, editor of the first anthology of poems brought out by the group,In Many Voices.

From her own blog, we are all aware that she is perhaps one of the best writers on Sulekha. And a wonderful poet. Although, of late she has not been publishing too often on Sulekha, we now know what is keeping her so busy. It is not only a joy to see members of our own Sulekha family, publish through the website, in other forums, like Newspapers and magazines, it is a matter of pride to see Manjul Bajaj as Editor of an anthology of poems, In Many Voices.

Poems arise out of a space, which is difficult to describe. What affects a poet is equally hard to account for. Yet, when powerful feelings find their expression in a poem, many read and are touched by it. These words, which struggle out of the very recesses of the mind, in those “still moments”, as Manjul Bajaj says in her poem, are not from our selves, but these words belong to Existence waiting to take birth. They belong to the Soul of Life wanting to beget itself. We merely are the midwife, the vehicle of their birth. Therefore, these, our children, we call our poems, are not ours’; they belong to the Soul of Life.

What a powerful pen! What thoughts! What soul in the words!

Blessed with beauty and with brains, Manjul Bajaj has that one something that cuts across the rest and is visible in her work – everytime! Her work has a soul, an existential soul that speaks through her silences and her stillness, weaving a magic wand around you.

Masters, they say, are made of such stuff. 

 Publisher:Delhi Poetree

Name of Anthology: In Many Voices

Editor : Manjul Bajaj

To Know About Delhi Poetree & Amit Dahiya Badshah

http://www.delhievents.com/2007/05/about-delhi-poetree-amit-dahiya-badshah.html

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