Monday, January 21, 2008

DECREE NISI: A POEM BY VIVIMARIE VANDERPOORTEN

The Galle Literary Festival has finished, but with a wonderful sense of hope, and a drive to keep metaphors and stories flowing throughout the days and weeks ahead until the time comes round to gather up writers and readers again in the Fort in 2009.

I was pleased to leave with a strong book of poems in hand, Nothing Prepares You, by Sri Lankan poet Vivimarie VanderPoorten. It's a first book full of poems written with a deft storyteller's ear, fine in their apparently casual rhythms, but carrying potent emotional punches to heart and head for those moments when the reader starts to think more about the words just consumed.

Here is Decree Nisi which means "the provisional order indicating that the court is satisfied that the ground for divorce has been established."


Today a judge in a musty courtroom
Will decide that
we can no longer live together,
you and i.
He will declare our marriage
Terminated,
Transform us into strangers. Again.

You are brave to be there.
Solicitous girlfriends-
lawyers-
told me Not to Go.
So, hiding away
from lecherous glances
(surmising, behind hands over mouths)
and out of sight of
invasive State,
I have time to recall
some good times we had.

Countries visited, miles driven, wild life watched in still
forests
meals shared, moments of tenderness,
some laughter, even.

But enough of that.
Now, since I cannot desert you maliciously,
And adultery is no longer a crime we can commit,
Perhaps we could be friends again.


--Vivimarie VanderPoorten, c) 2007, Nothing Prepares You

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Poetry ok butwhat is hapeening at the Galle Literary Festival?

See www.kottu-kottu.blogspot.com

Indran Amirthanayagam said...

Poetry, novel, drama, essay--all ways of invoking the muse and writing stories. For me the poem happened at the Galle Festival. I heard from a friend Nazreen Sansoni that Vivimarie was worth a perusal and from the first page I was moved and transformed....gladdened that this particular practitioner was advancing the art in Sri Lanka.

Unknown said...

Indran,
But,
One swallow,
Does not a summer make
Poem
1
Even if a good one
Does not
a
Literary festival
make

Indran Amirthanayagam said...

Ajith, I left with a few swallows flying by my side. Tell me more about your concerns about the festival. Take Care. Indran

Jack Point said...

I think Ajith is drawing your attention to the blog he has mentioned in his comments.

Its not the Kottu blogroll.

Borrowed Dust said...

i did follow the link ajith had mentioned and read the article about the festival. Indran, i dont think you would really understand all the personal attacks in that coz you have been out of the country for a very long time! I, unfortunately (or not :)) 'get' all the nuances and the context of it. Some of it is reasonable. most of it is the result of something i cannot mention in this blog.

Unknown said...

Indran,
Neurotic is neurotic about everything he/she says.
But neurotic or not, I think you must know the one trait about Sri Lanka -- when they cannot take valid criticism they always allege its ‘personal’’ shroud it in conspiracy theories and attack the messenger. You know, the way Bush Republicans do. You get more Bush Republicans here than in America, I can bet on it....

Unknown said...

And as if Rajpal is the only one who is critical of the GLF. You should see this just in --- Smokers Delight - http://smokersdelight.blogspot.com

so you see, more than one swallow...and so much for the 'conspiracy' and the 'personal'' etc etc.,

Priyantha said...

I bought a copy of Vivimarie's book 'nothing prepares you' while visiting Colombo in July 2008 and just love her work. I want to get copy of the book for a dear friend, but don't know where in New York (or online) one could buy a copy. Would you know?

Priyantha

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jorge said...

أفضل نادي عربي نادي الهلال الحاصل على دوري المحترفين, نادي النصر العالمي اول نادي يتأهل لبطولة العالم للأندية كأس العالم 2010, لمتابعة اخبار العالمي منتديات سعد الحارثي وشاهد مبارياته و الكثير

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