Poetic Delicacies from Mauritius

by

Jeewan Ramlugun

Written on 7th July 2017

The true name or appellation has mattered

not a whit;

thus known, it has semantically conveyed

to the mind the playfulness and pert

prancing of the blue green waters,

even onomatopoeically sounding right.

As it happened to be , its origination

could have been Old Dutch for ‘Fried Landt

Flack’,meaning free flat land, yet one

would not sense from this , the magic

of a scintillating seascape ,or even mindscape,

with the rhythmic , cadential whorls of waves,

the heaving, pulsating motions

of the universe, and the imagination’s dances,

the elation of childhood days of picnics

on these beaches

amidst the swaying filao trees

being vibrantly felt still, thinking of Flic-en-Flac.

Jeewan Ramlugun BSc. MSc. CFCIPD FCMI FRSA.

Poet, Academic Researcher/Writer ,African Development Advisor.

Poetry Publications:

Wellsprings: Poems of Life & Nature( 323 pages, UK, 2010).

Poetry from Paradise ( 108 pages, Mauritius, 2010).

Bushy Park: A Collection of Poems( 221 pages, UK, 2015).

Mother & Memories( 110 pages, Mauritius,2022).

Hornbeam Dreams: A Collection of Poems( 182 pages, India, 2023).

By

Pushmaotee Subrun

My poetry, my ruminations, philosophical,
Spiritual, celestial,
Uplifting, bringing highest happiness,
Realisation, closeness
Bliss intense
To self, lifting the veil to reveal beauty,
Sheer unadulterated beauty,
Beauty in wild, vegetation scenic,
Beauty in wild colourful flowers, panoramic,
Loved by butterflies or bees,
Hills, veld, and valleys,
Entirely transporting, with leaps of joy in the breeze,
These emotions ‘recollected in tranquillity’,
W. Wordsworth would say contentedly.

Oh yes, my poetry is the outlet to say,
Giving purpose to my innermost pain nay,
Or to let out bubbling emotions,
Setting on new journeys full of jubilation,
Creating a galaxy of shining stars,
In my deep self, where no one mars,
Creating brilliant rainbows through my soul,
This love lighting me wholly, heart and soul,
And guiding me as my torch illuminated
My world more grounded, brightened,
Indeed, boosting me to face the music of the world.

Pushmaotee Subrun is the author of: ‘Ella’, ‘Who is Your Best Friend?’, ‘Short Stories and Fables’, ‘A lyrical bouquet of Soulful Poems’, ‘Dreams to Reality’ and ‘Ripples of Elevated Verses’ and is winner of several awards.

by

Parameshwaree Munisamy-Odoye

Brownish and worn out,
The paper could only bear the ink of my handwriting.
Like a mere background it bore the story of my life that faded out.
The history of the paper and my story reminded me of some kind of songwriting
Where similes and similarities seemed singing a song…
Was it one of a mockingbird or that of a nightingale?
The paper almost incarnated the persona of the flong
Where my tears and fears steam even now an emotional gale.
Letters formed by strikes and arcs knew constant slow-down instances
Where the mind and heart would nurture calmness in chaos.
Gleams of my life experiences shot in one take could be read with a variety of lenses
What was afresh in my mind is the smell and the dynamism of the Cilaos…
I cherished like I mourned ….

Parameshwaree, 32 years old, is an Early Childhood Education Tutor. Writing has always been her favourite hobby and today she lives through it at the fullest.

by

Jeewan Ramlugun

In full celestial glory

scintillating

island moon

beams and gleams

the diadem in the sea

given its magical sheen;

there is stopping

to stare skywards

and admire the selenic

splendour in spiritedness,

energy from a cosmic

source emanating,

even a dog in delight

heard barking.

26 December 2023.

Jeewan Ramlugun BSc. MSc. CFCIPD FCMI FRSA.

Poet, Academic Researcher/Writer ,African Development Advisor.

Poetry Publications:

Wellsprings: Poems of Life & Nature( 323 pages, UK, 2010).

Poetry from Paradise ( 108 pages, Mauritius, 2010).

Bushy Park: A Collection of Poems( 221 pages, UK, 2015).

Mother & Memories( 110 pages, Mauritius,2022).

Hornbeam Dreams: A Collection of Poems( 182 pages, India, 2023)

by

Sweety Anoucheka Gangabissoon

It has taken me a long time to
Grasp that fruits and flowers bloom in total silence
It has taken me a long time to
Realise that hearts reach out for each other in that same silence
And that
If the mouth is opened to make of these spoken of,
The magic shreds itself away
As easily as shorelines get disappeared
As the waters keep rising!

It is also in that same silence
That prayers get sent to the universe
And poetry gets created on paper,
Meant to be etched as eternal remnants
Of love, or pain, or even, of the skies’ will over us!

Yet, today, silence has become my crown
It holds the power to bring about energy shifts
And even to send to my soul
That which it wills me for my afterlife
It is that which saw stars birth
And dusks turn into nights
It is that which allowed me to see the meaning
Behind those eyes that burned for me
And it is that
Which shall push my decisions as being made
Of my own will, guided solely by the powers of fate!

Sweety Anoucheka Gangabissoon is a Primary School Educator in Mauritius. She writes poetry, short stories and novels as hobby.

by

Raajeev Auchambit

Leave my pen, man,
again, I must write
as my inner dripping pan
craves more than just sunlight.

Alright, alright, I confess, I’m not wielding a pen,
but indeed writing, I’m writing, my friend,
before life’s red light
dims me in twilight’s gentle half-light.

Don’t just bite at these words,
soar with them, like unsung birds
flying in a world unseen,
mending life with my favourite phrase, ‘Why not,’ so keen

In this gaga realm
my pen does a sega, it seems,
wearing a whimsical daydream
even on the no-parking streets of my scheme

Why not write, when in your mind, you’re all right,
Why not write, when you can sling words with another might,
Why not write, even as a beginner?
Why not? When your quirky musing gets wings.

An English teacher by day and a poet in secret moments, I seek my mundane self through the extraordinary words of all.

by

Nyok Maker Mareng

Mauritius has diverse religions
All who live together with great visions
Theirs is a life emblem so tenacious
Because a country it is, always culturally gracious

Mauritius is great in its adventure
It’s a land to tour without pressure
People travel miles for its pleasure
Just to explore it beautiful cultures

Mauritius is adorned by its tourism
It has diverse religions like Hinduism
But its people are glued by patriotism
To embrace each other without racism

Mauritius is bountifully resourceful
The land and its people are beautiful
Like a cool breezy night is ever peaceful
Everyday in Mauritius island is colorful

Nyok Maker Mareng is a South Sudanese writer, poet, socialist, and aspiring sociologist who has made significant contributions to the literary world. He has been recognized and awarded by various online platforms for his active participation in poetry and writing. Currently, he serves as the South Sudan Oxygen Pen (SSOP) Ambassador, a youth-led social media platform based in Sri Lanka. Mareng has co-authored works like “Creating a Better World” and “Songs of the Wind,” which showcase his collaborative efforts in anthologies. His diverse roles reflect his dedication to using the power of words to drive positive social change. Mareng has contributed to numerous anthologies, with his poems published in “Sensation from the Heart,” “Mauritius Caught in a Dream,” “Equation of Love,” and “Chauceberries Garden.” His work pays homage to the past, present, and future of poetry, reflecting his commitment to the art form.

by

Jeewan Ramlugun

Written on August 2019

I see clean shiny floors

on corridors

that turn

into every direction.

I see and hear shuffling,

firm long

sturdy, steady strides,

lots of things

to be done.

I observe the conveying

of the helpless ailing,

by providence overseen

hopefully.

It is clinical, thankfully

not cold,

smiles and cheeriness

with due reticence,

as protocols demand,

in abundance.

The wait can seem

endless

yet optimism

there is nevertheless.

Jeewan Ramlugun BSc. MSc. CFCIPD FCMI FRSA.

Poet, Academic Researcher/Writer ,African Development Advisor.

Poetry Publications:

Wellsprings: Poems of Life & Nature( 323 pages, UK, 2010).

Poetry from Paradise ( 108 pages, Mauritius, 2010).

Bushy Park: A Collection of Poems( 221 pages, UK, 2015).

Mother & Memories( 110 pages, Mauritius,2022).

Hornbeam Dreams: A Collection of Poems( 182 pages, India, 2023).

by

Sandrani Kichenama

Even if it drowns,
It will never stop shining.
As I long as I breathe, I’ll adorn it as my crown
The gold dust of my dreams
That I hold strongly in my fist,
It may slips but never fade
That’s the power of my imaginations.

Call me imaginist,
I live for my vivid imaginations
Call me mythopoetic
My poems breathe the air of colors and hopes
I write because I want to make people experience the magic that they miss
I write because of love as love is all that matters to me.

A walk in a dark alley and that little escape to the moonlight in the starry sky;
That’s me and my connection with poetry
We are those little daisies that live in the bubble of our fantaisies
All of us lack that magic into our lives
That’s what I wish to create in my poems, The magic and The hope!

Sandrani Kichenama is an emerging writer and a poet.
She seeks to create a better standard of living for the society at large by promoting her writings to inspire people for higher good.

by

Anitah Aujayeb

My Property
Nor a golden studded palace
neither an air-conditioned cosy room
Not a long black dress with pearls
not a jaguar which glitters black
I need but pen and paper
with ink enough to last for eternity
You may build castles
You can open ‘sesame’ doors
keep the gold, keep the gems
spill your joys, drown your desires
leave but some coins for pen and paper
with ink enough to say what I want
when the shadows of clouds
hover around in circles
as the bright sun enters the horizon
light your house, fill your cup
let drift aside from under the curtain
some light to write what I can.
On the white paper of my life
paints the black ink, some sorrows
some pains, some sighs
deep felt inner needs slowly
move the paper and the pen
with sobs enough to last for ever.
Paper and pen, my shadows eternal
pen and paper, my life, my pains
travel through rains and sun
breathing life where life is not
I need my pen and paper
to make myself live to eternity.

A song, a smile, a line, these are things greater than riches of mighty kings

Long standing Educator, Part time Open University tutor, teaching English and Literature in English, Chairperson of the President’s Fund for Creative Writing, Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage.
A lover of languages, she is who is doing her best for the promotion of Mauritian literature