Comments on: Friday Poetry: Dilruba Ahmed

By: Varun Munjal

Varun Munjal — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:38:13 +0000

She said, â€œIf literature confronts us with our humanity, if it proves to us the shared desires and struggles of our individual lives, then literature, particularly writing by Asian Americans and other minorities, is arguably more important now than ever before.â€

To which I would say, first, that the "desires and struggles of our individual lives" are no more and probably less than those of past generations, and second, Asian Americans and other minorities do not have a monopoly on those desires and struggles, because of they did, they would not be shared. I think the difference of opinion on this second point lies in Ahmed's assumption that a ethno-cultural minority must necessarily be disadvantaged. We live in a world where diversity is cherished. Frankly I think she is regurgitating leftist tripe.

By: avantgardepoet

avantgardepoet — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:58:26 +0000

A Haiku.

Reading a poem Look at the poets picture she have a nice rack?

A Haiku.

By: avantgardepoet

avantgardepoet — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:28:26 +0000

I'd like to contribute my poem:

Ordlay, ivus-gay, or-yeah essings-blay, ahmen-ay.

Oh, I don't know what to write inside my brain wants to fight

and so I log on to get inspired pulling words out with mental pliers

read the poetry thread, remind myself zed's dead or my name's not fred, and dint make my bed.

poets they come from every direc-SHOIN happy and sad, like two sides of a coin

dilruba's words, creating sounds of zoink. saw her pic, said to myself, I'd like to boink.

By: champa

champa — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:14:17 +0000

She watches me always, I thinkâ€” especially in April, when crocuses poke through and die before you blink. I lost her twenty years ago this week.

oh i relate, to the entire poem that turns on those lines. and it has been longer than that, and still...

By: champa

champa — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:11:21 +0000

poetry readings are wonderful and all poets, regardless of demo, perform. it is a performance art. i am not a poetry person but i am hooked on people reading out their poetry. there is an art and form to it, musicality. come to think of it, like a mushaira, or a gazal recitation.

By: champa

champa — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:08:55 +0000

"Worst. Idea. Ever. Worse, even, than a guy wearing his doti to go rock-climbing."

sorry, disagree. dhoti parts in the middle somewhere, a wrap skirt in essence, and is held up by will power. sari has folds, for insulation.

of course the choli bares the waist to the skin. what to do, we are this way only.

By: rudie_c

rudie_c — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:51:47 +0000

wow thats class

By: Yo Dad

Yo Dad — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:59:23 +0000

neemo: I know a thing or two about writing “Ghazals”, as I do write them in Gujarati Language. Per the classical Urdu Ghazals in the tradition of Aamir Khushro, Ghalib, Mir etc.. and per the laws of Urdu Prosody, the Kaffiya, Radiff, Matla and Makta in this “Ghazal” by Dilruba Ahmed are correct. Whether you are OK with it or not is irrelevant, as she has followed the proper protocol IMHO.

By: Pravin Praveen

Pravin Praveen — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:45:31 +0000

Are book and poetry readings more prevalent among Indian Americans compared to other demographics? I see a lot of these kind of blog items on sepia and other indian american blog sites. I think there are quite a few of the literary kinds among Persians in the west too. Since I am not into this kind of arts, I am just curious as to what factors contribute to so many Indians that seem to be into this. Not trying to be negative. Just honest curiosity. Good luck to the poet in this article.

By: neemo

neemo — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:02:06 +0000

She rhymed another with another. I’m ok with this.