When one reads Earth & Glimmer, the book of poetry and prose by Haya Fatima Sehgal, one visualizes a jaded author who has gone through many experiences in her long and tumultuous life – heartbreak, loss, separation, severing of identity and roots, resilience, and hope.
It would come as a surprise to most then to learn that Haya, though not exactly young, is not old either, and yet has managed to channel her angst, depression, deep longing, or emotional bonds into refreshingly unadulterated poetic expression – even her prose is poetic – in a manner that is both engaging and thought-provoking, yet easy to read. She is also a sensitive soul who empathises with those who have suffered at the hands of our frequently cruel society. Haya does not hesitate to become the voice of the suffering and a social commentator through her works, making them palatable as they are not in the form of lectures but poignant writings.
The more than 100 titles in the book cover a variety of intense subjects that leave the reader hopping from a poem wrought with despair at being separated from a beloved, to one highlighting the predicament of a rape victim and the collective reaction of society and state, to one expressing anger and hurt at the dismemberment of the country and consequent alienation from one’s homeland.
There are many poems in the anthology that describe Karachi’s beaches, and as a Karachiite, I can wholeheartedly relate to the poet’s fascination with them and sense of wonder and awe when describing the crashing waves or the shifting sands under her feet.
While many writings are moving and hard-hitting, my favourites are Sifting, River Indus, Grief, A City Called Karachi, Memory Home, Tacenda, Child Bride, and Clay Doll. Brutally candid, they drive home the horrific injustices that have become part of our daily lives that most poets would not like to dwell on.
There are many poems in the anthology that describe Karachi’s beaches, and as a Karachiite, I can wholeheartedly relate to the poet’s fascination with them and sense of wonder and awe when describing the crashing waves or the shifting sands under her feet.
Fascinatingly enough, in many of the poems and prose, Haya views earth both through a philosophical and scientific lens, seeing it as a life-giving source of energy, in which every cell is ‘connected by an invisible seamstress’ (Gravity, Ocean, Soil, and Me) and often describes herself and her surroundings using scientific terminology. Sometimes, she is a mere ‘cell’ in the entire cosmos (Point of Origin), ‘isolated molecule’ (Some of These Lockdowns), nostalgic about petrichor, and speaks of her ‘acidic wants’ and ‘gently oxidized soul’ (Erosion). These terms help to enrich her work and add a dimension seldom seen in poetry.
On the whole, the book is thought-provoking and deeply moving. It also offers an insightful window into our cultural norms, a commentary on our history, society, and the present state of affairs.
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