The first time you submit your creative work for public view is a nerve-racking time – you ask yourself questions like “Is it good enough? Am I good enough?”
Well, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) TESL student Darshni Gunasekaran certainly found out that her poetry writing skills are more than good enough, after two of her poems were selected for Volume III and Volume IV of the ‘Covid-19 Pandemic Poems’ international e-book series.
Impressively, it was the first time that she had submitted a poem for publication, and she hit a home run on the very first try.
Her work was published alongside the works of poets and academics from across Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
The first, titled ‘Cloudless Blue Sky’ was one of 50 poems selected for Volume III, while the second, titled ‘What Has Our World Come To?’ was one of another 50 selected for Volume IV.
Released last month, the collection posits itself as providing readers with ‘an emotionally elaborate and comprehensive understanding of the pandemic’ with an emphasis on the human experiences during this unprecedented situation.
Darshni, who has been penning poems since secondary school, said she began her foray into poetry for her own keeping.
“For me, it’s a way of expressing my emotions and feelings. It is a constructive way to ponder the meaning of our lives and what makes us deeply happy,” she told e-Q.
“I also feel that it is a great way in reaching out to those who are experiencing the same feelings.”
The opportunity to showcase her talents came when her mother told her about the project. Her mother, in turn, had learned about it from her colleagues.
This was the first time Darshni had submitted a piece for publication, and she hit a home run on the very first try. So why COVID-19?
“I wrote about COVID- 19 because it had just caused so much fear. I wanted it to express the questions we all had, but I also wanted it to convey hope,” she said.
Darshni’s works are available here in Volume III and Volume IV. Kudos again Darshni, and we look forward to seeing your talent shine even more brightly in the future!
