The 'process notes' pieces were originally solicited by Maw Shein Win as addendum to her teaching particular poems and poetry collections for various workshops and classes. This process note and poems by Indran Amirthanayagam is part of her curriculum for Maker, Mentor, Muse and her poetry classes in the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. Thanks for reading.
When the pandemic cast its massive and penetrating eye on the earth, I began to write poems about living under its gaze. I wrote daily and in various languages, and I wanted to document the pandemic. In doing so, I began to write about whom and what we were losing, and I looked closely and listened to my mother who was under my care and suffering from a series of ailments, the most serious of which was her losing memory and eventually the ability to walk. I helped to care for her, and while doing so, saw into her needs and wishes, and my own needs and wishes for our human family (hence the title Seer).
I wrote the poems initially under the title The Seared Eye–for the Covid eye, for the searing it caused in our lives, in our souls. Seer is accurate and easier on the tongue and eye. I hope it does not presume too much. The poet is just another observer. But the poet looks while listening, creates word music from the ear and eye and mind meeting. I hope these poems, this word music, pleases while it consoles. I hope too that it shows us a way forward, a path through the maze to a world where we too will survive, even thrive.
I write poetry in five languages. I am X years old. I don't know if I will still learn another language and then write poems with its metaphors and meters before the lid is shut on my coffin or if I go up in smoke. I have crossed lots of borders in my life, geographic, spiritual, linguistic. I made a terrible mistake when I arrived in London as a boy of eight. I stopped speaking Tamil, Sinhalese as well. I blocked them out. I must have wanted to be one with other migrants (from Ireland, Italy, the Philippines) and the English boys and girls. I attended a mixed Catholic primary then a boys’ grammar school.
My last name was shortened to Amir, to make it easier for my mates, and Tamil was kicked out of my mind, the wound of departure buried under a thousand pounds of English literature and comedy. Monty Python became my new teacher, along with Larkin, Eliot, and Auden as I later began to discover poetry, reading poems by my father—Guy Amirthanayagam—and those he recommended.
I remember R.S. Thomas's A Song at the Year's Turning and Yeats: “I will arise and go now and go to Innisfree.” I remember Leavis, how my father advocated for deep exploration of the literary matter itself, which led to my belief that I can find the truth in poetry. The big truth, not just information, or a means to live, but the motherlode, discovery of the why at the heart of the other four w's: what, who, when, where. I also learned the five nevers from Lear.
Never stop writing poetry. Never believe that swinging a cricket
bat will lead me out of the maze. Never become an accountant. Or a political
leader, the prime minister of a country Eelam dreamed by my people. None of
that earthly ambition although we are unacknowledged legislators. And never say
no to the Muse. There you have them: five nevers. So go preach them on the
moors and dales, in city centers, everywhere.
There will be time, the poet said, to murder
and create, and I grew up thinking I would stop
the sea as well as bake a few thousand cakes
that sing and
dance on the tongue, and murder
only cockroach and snake. But I cannot sift
and parse, make concessions and compromise
for the rest of my days. I must choose a path,
be true to
some plan, show resolve and purpose.
If not I would be deemed mercurial, humored,
a human folly, not a computer or a stable figure,
a steady captain on deck to recite O Captain!
My Captain! over the
raging sea. But help
me out, may I still kill the roach while arguing
for sustainable living, long-term conservation
of the ecosystem? If they are unseen, insidious,
what options
do I have but to bleach microbes
who wish to invade me? They do not come coated
with love, flapping wings of turtle doves. But
perhaps they offer me release, an early exit from
this
stifling, overheating fishbowl, once a gentle
trade-winded cul-de-sac. Claptrap. Remind
myself of the Big Bang, and later in geologic
time flaming rocks the size of the Empire State
destroying
the carnivorous, malevolent Tyrannosaurus.
Let me go back to dust with that earlier predator.
How easy to pull off the calm veneer, especially
when trafficking in words. Damn this. I am
going for a
walk. The sun is shining and
the winds are calm today. Who knows when
the first hurricane of the Atlantic season
will roar through the Covid-infested
atmosphere.
Get communing with nature
when I can. But keep distant from
neighbors. Not a problem: the grand illusion,
faith in tomorrow, conserving one's health.
I must keep
that idea circulating for babies
arriving today, kids waiting for treats
at the next Halloween, and old men
and women whose fronds were blessed
yesterday on
Palm Sunday with the gift
of memory, during this Covid year
whose collateral benefits include
digging into the attic of the mind, finding
photographs,
sharing them with any
household members, and on line.
Mother, in Tongues
Mother has gone back to the kitchen
where she needs two pounds of cardamom,
a cup of cloves. She will make love cake
again. This is Christmas in January,
and she is visiting her daughter in California.
Where are you
Mummy? In Templeton.
Who am I? Indran. On Tuesday evening,
her body burning, she began to speak
in tongues, to invoke the Holy Spirit,
taklata, taklata, taitata taitata. We called
911. Ambulance and paramedics came,
along with
two fire trucks. I have become
expert in friendships between these
groups of first responders in America
where more elements give security,
jack up costs..in America where
we moved to live then die . . . America,
tak lata tak lata tai tata tai tata.
Mother's Wishes
I want six Eden Pure fans, twenty pounds
of cashew nuts, two thousand dollars in cash,
one thousand of which to be given
to the church for its annual appeal. I want
you to write to your brother. Have him
call me. I need money, also a checkbook.
I want to paint the patio, fix the carpet
on the landing. I want to go to Lourdes.
I would like every grandchild to keep
receiving a birthday present every year
from me. I want Bupsy to get a little extra.
I want Cissie to be given shares. I want
Revantha to have chocolates and nuts.
And I want to powder my face at my own pace
and without interruption. Now, tell me, what
can you do besides arguing for the other side?
Indran Amirthanayagam is a poet, editor, publisher, translator, YouTube host, and
diplomat. For thirty years, he worked for his adoptive country, the United
States, on diplomatic assignments in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South
America. Amirthanayagam produced a unique record in 2020 publishing three
poetry collections written in three different languages. He writes in English,
Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. He has published twenty-five
poetry books In music, he recorded Rankont
Dout. He edits the Beltway Poetry Quarterly; writes; writes a weekly poem for Haiti en Marche and El Acento;
has received fellowships from the Foundation for the Contemporary Arts, the New
York Foundation for the Arts, The US/Mexico Fund for Culture and the Macdowell
Colony. He is the IFLAC Word Poeta Mundial 2022. Amirthanayagam hosts The Poetry Channel. New books include Seer,
The Runner’s Almanac, and Powèt
nan po la (Poet of the Port), Indran publishes poetry books at Beltway Editions. Amirthanayagam’s first collection in
Portuguese Música subterranea just
appeared from Editora Kotter in Brazil.
Maw Shein Win's new full-length poetry collection is Percussing
the Thinking Jar (Omnidawn, 2024). Her previous full-length collection Storage
Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn, 2020) was nominated for the Northern
California Book Award in Poetry, longlisted for the PEN America Open Book
Award, and shortlisted for the Golden Poppy Award for Poetry. She is the
inaugural poet laureate of El Cerrito, CA. Win's previous collections include Invisible
Gifts and two chapbooks, Ruins of a glittering palace and Score
and Bone. Win often collaborates with visual artists, musicians, and other
writers and her Process Note Series features poets on their process. She teaches poetry in the MFA Program at
USF and is a member of The Writers Grotto. Along with Dawn Angelicca Barcelona
and Mary Volmer, she is a co-founder of Maker, Mentor, Muse, a literary
community. mawsheinwin.com