Sabita’s 'Pyramids of Lexical Ripples' is vocally feminist

Kathmandu, Nov. 22: Sabita Gautam Dahal from Biratnagar is outspoken by nature, a trait that vividly reflects in her poetry. Her recently published English poetry collection 'Pyramids of Lexical Ripples' prominently features a feminist voice.

Imagery, symbols, metaphors and similes serve as the jewels of expression. 

They soften our capacity for articulation while imbuing it with power. However, the essence of literature lies in its ideology. Sabita does not believe in piling up words in her poetry. 

Her poems are deeply connected to ideology, communicating them with clarity and conviction. 

Her writing is free from ambiguity, and the weight of excessive words is never felt. Essentially, these are fatless, straightforward poems.

Neither heavy nor light

Neither bland nor delicious

Nor thin or nor fat-

Neither long nor short-

These are the unavoidable

Sadness of relations

Between life and stability

(A piece from 'Picture and Life')

According to translator Abhi Subedi, Sabita's poems create a poetic consonance of personal feelings, impersonal and realistic themes. On the other hand, Saguna Shah, an avid reader, finds her poems meditative and poignant. "Though solemn in nature, the poems are full of hope and courage," Shah has written on the blurb of the book.

When the poet feels hurt, she thinks that poetry heals her like an ointment. "When I am captivated by the beauty of life's moments, poetry fills me with the zeal to embrace them," asserts Sabita.

The collection, launched at FOSWAL Literature Festival held recently in New Delhi, comprises 24 poems encompassing soft feelings of love, struggle of a woman and so on. 

Sabita has been a regular participant in the festival for nearly a decade. Most of the poems in this book were originally recited at the festival, and their translations were undertaken by the veteran writer Abhi Subedi.

The poet has dedicated the book to veteran Indian fiction writer Ajeet Cour who has been a host of FOSWAL Literature Festival for a long time.

Published by Maya Publications, the book is priced at Rs. 360.

A lecturer of chemistry, Sabita had previously published three books including poetry collections Neelo Simana, Antim Aakash and Timilai Kasto Chha. 

She is the recipient of many awards and honours including Bimal Memorial Youth Award, Dhanbani New Talent Award, Narendra Chapagain Memorial Youth Talent Award and so on.