A Haiku Bouquet of Marigolds
Open afresh your rounds of starry folds, Ye ardent Marigolds.
—John Keats
evening prayer fades
the dust of marigold
in my palms
faded marigold —
the bride’s father lingers
at the doorway
marigolds . . .
a girl skipping
down the lane
moving day—
on the dining table
wilted marigolds
marigolds —
grandma knits
another jumper
descending winter
a yellow marigold stem
scoops the earth
blooms of marigold
in the temple courtyard
reminding me
soft smile of Ma
tending her garden
Anish is an Indian doctor and poet writing about life and love as they unfold in ordinary moments. His work listens closely to what it means to be human.
Vaishnavi Ramaswamy is a lover of poetry, languages, nature, wildlife and crystals.
Keiko lives on a hilltop in Yokohama, Japan with her husband and two cats. She enjoys watching foreign ships come in and out of port.
Hifsa Ashraf is an award-winning multilingual poet, author, editor, and social activist from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. She is the author of six individual and four collaborative micropoetry books. She received the Touchstone Award (2021) and Honourable Mentions in the Touchstone Distinguished Books Award (2020) and Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award (2021).
Martina Matijević is a poet from Croatia whose short poetry has been published in Modern Haiku, Acorn, Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, and other journals.
Bombay-born, US-educated, Vishal Prabhu has since taken time off to stand and stare. He lives in the Himalayas.
Shiva is a doctor by profession, surgeon by passion and a mother at heart. She loves to wonder and ponder at small and big miracles of nature which transcend as life.
Editorial Note – Issue 1
Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Bougainvillea Journal 🌸
Spring has arrived and slowly, steadily we will step into summers. Flowers are blooming, skies are clear yet the chaos at present in world can feel overwhelming!
As we know, literature has always been a mirror to us of society, of our own selves as well as one of the greatest solace for humanity. It opens the door to possibilities, dreams, and often the much-needed warmth and peace we seek.
With this journal, I hope to take a small step forward with a vision of warmth, love, and optimism as what the world of literature and arts have always been for me.
In this marigold-themed issue there is a special small haiku bouquet of marigolds for you, honoring the lovely flowers existing around us in all forms of joy, love and grief, connoting different shades of memories and moments.
And also, do read the wonderful literary reflections at the end with this issue. Such extraordinary, beautiful writing.
I am grateful to each one of you for trusting me with your beautiful work. May these poems offer space to dwell for a moment when life feels too fleeting.
— Bhawana Rathore
Book Review – By Vijaylakshmi
Never have I ever picked up a Khaled Hosseini book in my life. I had an inkling that most of his books are war-time stories, and as it is understood, such stories are emotionally devastating at one point or another.
I had to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns because of these quotes:
The first time when I read a haiku, I felt so mesmerized with the sheer brilliance of expression it could hold in such laconic yet beautiful way. The three lines evoking profound and heartfelt emotions.
I wondered how simple a moment can be captured with just few words and that too in such a way that it stays with the reader with their own experiences and interpretations. I felt heard and seen in the realm of words.
After reading a few haiku online by a poet, I felt compelled to write one as well. And I got to learn so much from already published and newly emerging poets as well in the haiku community, which further developed my interest and enthusiasm towards this poetry.
And I will be forever grateful to find my voice and my soul in this form of poetry.
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In the summers, my father and I would set up birdhouses in our little garden. Every summer, the sparrows would come back, looking for a safe space to build their nests.
Bringing twigs, then later when their eggs are hatched, feeding the chicks, and teaching them to fly. It was absolutely magical how life unfolded in front of us.
We would keep clean water available all the time, along with quality bird food, grains, etc. The bird feeder is always filled, inviting all sorts of other guests as well, from house sparrows and squirrels to bulbuls, parrots, and crows.
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I think, at some point in life, every person must have felt, “Why I am even doing this, for who, for what, at what cost, what is the meaning of all this, am I even on the right path, is this even meant for me, am I even capable ? ” etc, etc.
And these are some genuine questions, something that can not be brushed off by saying it’s just mind-talking.
As our entire existence is based on these thoughts, it’s the core of our thinking that guides us in a direction, towards taking action.
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There is something absolutely magical about looking up at the sky after the rain. Everything seems so fresh, beautiful, and vibrant, and the tranquility that comes after a downpour cannot be described in words.
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The term ‘Cultural Materialism’ was coined by Raymond Williams, a Welsh novelist and socialist writer.
In a short essay published in the New Left Review in 1976, Raymond Williams mentions the term ‘Cultural Materialism’.
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Written by Albert Camus in 1942, The Myth of Sisyphus is an interesting and fascinating philosophical essay.
As it deals with the theme of absurdity and existentialism.
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Pause and. . .
Listen closely !
What do you hear? Is it a bird? T.V. , radio maybe !
Is it the distant sound of a train, or somebody talking on phone ! Or the sound of breeze, a vehicle passing by, or just random little noises?
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