This week, Ruby adds her name to the ever-growing list of poets whose work has been awarded Poem of the Week. Her piece Half-hearted reminds us that a short, tightly crafted poem can be every bit as effective and successful as something longer. Our congratulations to Ruby are accompanied by our thanks for her candid and engaging responses to our Q&A

 

How do you feel your poetry has progressed since you began writing?
Honestly, I lack a bit of self-confidence, always thinking about every of my writing as 'not-good-enough'. But ever since I began writing and even in my short yet precious journey on WOL till now, I feel I've carved a free way and throughout this practice of writing, I have words coming out with ease and combining in its own rhythm. At the beginning, I feel my poetry had been rigid, undirectional. I'm trying to improve myself, look at my writings critically to hone this craft of writing.

 

Who do you write poetry for?
I write poetry because I really love writing. I feel a sense of fulfillment and freedom oozing out of me through words when I write poetry. Thinking again about for whom I write poetry, I would say for all the people I've come across whose stories have touched a string I thought would be worth putting in words, things I've experienced and for myself.

 

Do you have any other creative hobbies apart from poetry?
I love Rabindranath Tagore's songs and so I love to sing them.

 

What is the last poetry book you read?
I haven't been reading poetry books in quite a long time. But I'm constantly reading poetry on the go in pdf formats which can be downloaded from many sites. Lately, I've been reading poems of Rumi.

 

If you could send one poem in to space to best represent humanity what would it be and why?
Right now, I can think of one fine poem by Rumi, 'A Community of the Spirit'. I think I'd just send that because this single poem talks about everything in such simple lines. They're thought-striking and like other poems of Rumi, this too exudes the pulchritude present in his poetry.

 

Half-hearted
by Ruby

I can hear the bray of your half wish
Unsure, slipping near the edge
That cliff you call on your poundings won’t echo,
And so I too choose to feign a half meter,
May be waiting –
A full room just for me,
Or a blown out barren fire forgotten
To hold on to
Like an ancestral deserted dream.