What I Do That's New is a series of articles in which poets share their trade secrets with the rest of us i.e. they describe aspects of what they do that is either innovative or just plain clever.

If you would like to feature in a future article in this series then contact feature editor Dermot Glennon dermot@writeoutloud.net

_________________________________________________

God                                         Allah

 

Adam                                      Hazrat Aadam

Moses                                     Hazrat Musa

 

Jesus                                      Hazrat Esa

Mary                                       Hazrat Mariyam

 

Gabriel                                     Hazrat Jibraeel

Amen                                       Ameen

 

‘Bless you’                                ‘Shukar Alhamdulillah’

Say grace                                 ‘Bismillah’

 

Prayer                                      Duah

Forty days                                Chaleeswa

 

Lent                                         Ramadhan

Wimple and Habit                       Hijab and Burkha

 

Day of judgement    Qiyamah                      

When I see a nun I see a woman in a burkha (head covering and outer 'cloak'). The Islamic uniform is the burkha and the veil is not compulsory (all depends on which sect you belong to). So, I am trying to lay bare the differences between culture and religion here. A Muslim woman needs to dress modestly, covering certain parts of her body, whereas the burkha is worn by choice, hence not an oppressive situation, which is often conveyed by the media. The veil was made controversial recently, yet no one talks about a nun's attire as oppressive simply because she is associated with the church and seen in a religious context. I'm very glad people have responded well to this poem as it has achieved what I set out to do; to show the similarities in religion and differentiate between religion and culture.

This is actually quite an angry poem, yet you cannot see any anger (?) It has proved to be very successful as I have employed a certain technique: approaching an issue from a different angle and looking at the similarities between Islam and Christianity. I think sensitive subjects like this have to be tackled with the greatest tact and it is not easy to do. Remember your readership /audience and convey anger or negative feeling in an indirect way that will leave them pondering over it for a long time afterwards. Trust me, it is more effective. I see a lot of bad poetry where the writer is so angry about a certain issue in society that he/she blurts it out - in fact it is not even poetry! Do it with style, technique, tact and a calm approach (go for a brisk walk and get some fresh air if you have to!) Humour, wit and style can tackle many serious issues in society such as racism ??" which I do write about with a lot of tact. I very delicately create a scene or image and dilute my own personal anger in it, in the hope that the poem will leave a lasting effect on the reader/listener, leaving them pondering over it for a long time afterwards. An example would be the above, which was actually a response to the issue created of the veil a Muslim woman wears. So I created a list poem which says very little, but at the same time says it all.

Some of my work is inspired by other writer’s and it is a mixture of prose and poetry: Meera Syal’s prose, the Daisy Goodwin collection, Louis MacNeice, Laura Riding and Sujata Bhatt. Meera Syal’s ‘Anita and Me’ tackles issues such as racism in the 70s, the second generation caught between Eastern and Western culture and the first generation striving to provide their children with the best, especially in terms of education. This book left a lasting effect on me, as I had had many of the experiences which Syal talks about. In my own poems such as ‘A mother’s ammunition’ I tell the story of my encounter with a punk but I do it with a little humour. In ‘Our bank’ I describe my very clear memory of copper coins in the China Green tea tin which my dad use to fill for us in his ‘Taxi days’. ‘One of many (for my dear dad)’ is a man’s life since he came to England, initially to work and send money home to his mother. The smell of booze and dirty taxis is mentioned as a memory (not a nice one) while he sits in his conservatory: history and the past never leaves you. ‘She has to be a doctor’ describe the daily routine of a little Muslim girl in this country and the pressure on her to become a doctor. The parents had a hard childhood in Pakistan and now they are trying realise their dreams through their children. As these are universal issues and themes to most Pakistani people in Britain, I feel they are relevant to write about.

The Daisy Goodwin collection is a treasure of mine which I still dip into every now and then. Louis MacNeice is another one of my favourites. Sujata Bhatt work directs the reader to think about language and identity and also explores female sexuality, empowering women and raising awareness, as well as their status. Some examples include ‘A Different History’, ‘Muliebriety’ and ‘White Asparagus’, the latter two exploring sexuality and sexual desire in pregnancy in particular. As I am often quite bold in my writing by presenting and raising issues such as divorce, I find great strength in reading poems of such a kind.  They are encouraging for me as a writer as well as a reader.

I want to reach out to a wide as possible audience, not just my community. When I post on here, I give a lot of thought to how I can give a complete picture of myself as I have many styles and themes. Also, I do not stifle my writing with one particular style as I want my reader to want to turn over the page and expect something fresh and original each time.

The MA course I am doing is a taught course and this has taken my writing to a higher level. I consider myself lucky to have writers such as Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy leading our workshops. Carol Ann Duffy has described my work as ‘an iron hand in a velvet glove’, which I feel is so true and accurate.  

However, the academic world cannot teach you what to write, as that comes from the soul, but how to write for contemporary society. I feel I have developed a critical eye, in relation to my own work and that of others; a poem is never finished, so edit your own poetry as much as you can. This applies to punctuation too. I have learned that if we use punctuation, we use it throughout and if we decide to write without it, then again we do not use it throughout. Consistency is the key. If a poem is partly punctuated, it will feel rough around the edges, jagged even and will not flow or look presentable. So, I always aim to follow certain technical rules.

We must read as much as we can in order to be good writers - reading should include contemporary writing more than anything else if we are to connect with today’s audience. Read good poetry, read bad poetry; both are needed if we are to be critical and avoid the mistakes found in less popular work. Read the Quran, read the Torah (or extracts). Politics, history, children’s books even! Do not limit yourself or you limit your mind and consequently your writing.

I find that story telling or dramatising in a poem often engages a reader, but only if done well. I read short stories and plays and watch people very closely to observe behaviour, making mental notes. This helps me to create characters in my poems and bring them to life. I do that often e.g. ‘Squadron’s Pack’ is just one from my ‘dramatic’ collection. Within the scene, through the description of behaviour, there are all kinds of social issues which I am tackling.

Performance has added another dimension to my work. This has given me an enormous amount of confidence and provided opportunities for me to network; I believe that if you miss one event, you miss out on one link which may have led to another reading event. Also, of course it gives you the opportunity to project your voice (physical voice) the way you want to in order to engage the audience. It is a skill in itself and often the voice and tone which we wish to project on paper is more apparent when reading aloud.

Commonword is where I started and it provided a platform for me on which I could stand, deliver and share my own voice. It is a good place to begin for new writers. I see my old friends often, as we must not forget where we started.

I consider myself to be in many worlds of poetry and all the writers I come across, whether they are academic or ‘streetwise’, I listen to them and read their work. This helps me to function as a writer outside of my own world, enriching my own thought processes. In addition to this, I am not protective of my writing: I give of it to others as I take from theirs.