MANDIRA PATTNAIK

LET’S KNOW OUR POETS BETTER

AN INTERVIEW SERIES WITH CONTEMPORARY POETS

Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com

Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

Our second poet in the Interview Series LET’S KNOW OUR POETS BETTER in celebration of National Poetry Month, is Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad. My earliest association with Oormila was in September 2020 when I published Bustle in Amsterdam Quarterly Vol. 29. In the same issue was Oormila’s The View From My Windows, about which she wrote: “These two artworks are from a series that I put together during the lockdown, when the windows of my workspace were my only eyes to the world outside. In my mind’s eye, I saw the places I had been to.” For me, Oormila’s artworks were a new frontier exploring the possibilities in her favorite medium — acrylics and gouache. Oormila is multi-talented. She is not only a very versatile (and widely published) artist, she’s an accomplished poet as well. Enjoy this beautiful video of her poem “End of Days”, or read “LPS AND ARMCHAIR THEORIES” (Ghost City Press), or read more poems in the Origami Poetry Project.

Her latest poetry collection Patchwork Fugue is available to preorders from Atomic Bohemian. I had a chance to chat with her about the book and her writing.

Congratulations on Patchwork Fugue! Tell us a little about your latest collection.

Patchwork Fugue is a collection of 47 poems that blend imagism and abstraction. It came together over a period of four years after I became actively involved with the poets in the wonderful online community of Black Bough Poetry, Wales, UK, with poet Matthew MC Smith at its helm. I loved the opportunity to share poems on Black Bough’s weekly platform, Top Tweet Tuesday, to give and receive feedback in a safe, supportive, and vibrant writing community. This inspired me to become disciplined about my writing. Before I knew it, I had a series of poems that were speaking to one another with different voices layered in, like a fugue. I started toying with the idea of a collection. And Patchwork Fugue was born. It is a book about survival, touching on various lived experiences: overcoming body dysmorphia and depression, finding love, understanding my identity, and revisiting memories. It is about coming back to life and finding my voice again as a poet.

What themes/motifs/symbols appear most commonly in your work? Do you think there’s a reason (or reasons) behind?

My poems have strong references to nature, especially flowers, water bodies, and the sea. I find myself frequently drawn to symbols of death and transformation, maternal bonds, the body, and blood—both as a life-giving source and violence. Thematically, I write about identity, body dysmorphia, memory, loneliness, grief, and loss.

When did you start writing? Can you name poets who absolutely inspire you?

I started writing poetry at the age of seven and even published three collections by the time I was 17. In my 20s poetry took a back seat as I poured my creative energy into my other love—painting. I returned to writing poetry at the age of 36 when I moved to Sydney with my family. I joined the Marrickville Writers Corner and later The North Shore Poetry Project, and started sending my work out to literary magazines. Among the older poets, I love Pablo Neruda, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, Charles Bukowski, and Emily Dickinson. My list of favorite contemporary poets will be too long! To name a few: Eileen Chong, Victoria Chang, Ankh Spice, Vikki C., Carolynn Kingyens, D. S Maolalai, Lorelei Bacht, Joshua Effiong, and Z.R Ghani.

How did the collection happen? How did you find your publisher?

I chose the 47 poems in this collection from over 100 pieces, some of which I had published in literary magazines and anthologies. When deciding the order of the poems, I found that many of the poems spoke to each other, and common threads centered around survival emerged: identity and belonging, love, loss, mental health, and reinvention. Briony Collins is a widely published Welsh poet I deeply admire. I found her work via the Black Bough Poetry community, and was thrilled to know she had started an independent press—Atomic Bohemian. When AB announced their open call for manuscripts, I sent mine in and received the warmest acceptance. I cannot thank them enough for the care and respect with which my work was handled—from manuscript stage to publication.

Please let us know where we can purchase your collection.

You can buy Patchwork Fugue here.

How would you describe yourself as a poet?

I am mostly a moody dark poet even though I occasionally write humorous pieces. I often joke that poetry is where the Hyde in me surfaces while art is my Jekyll element. I am at a point in my life where I can process past experiences with more clarity, from a space of acceptance. I think this is why I had to wait to pick up the pen (or approach the keyboard!) again. I don’t have a dedicated time for writing—I do a lot of it on the go on trains, or when I am parked outside my son’s cricket coaching, or when I have some free time at work. I try my best to write everyday even if it is just a few lines.

Anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Let us know where we can find you. (website/social media)

https://poetry.oormila.com/

http://www.instagram.com/oormila_paintings

On X: @oormilaprahlad

Thank you so much, Oormila. I’m sure readers will be as delighted as I am to know more about you and your work. Wish you all the best with your latest collection.

GENTLE REMINDER: My craft essays, posted month-end and usually focused on flash fiction, will resume in May, because here we take a break, and celebrate these amazing poets and their art throughout the month of April.

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