‘If only the world could be green for a day’

Class 11 student of Apeejay School, Kharghar, Vaishnavi Srikant Nair’s vision for a green world is huge. The young poetess wishes for the world to live like plants, even if for only one hour to learn how to live and love without the greed to get something in return. In the Apeejay Promising Poet interview series, the nature lover mentions how poetry gives her the best of company even when alone and how it has enabled her to express her humanitarian ideas in an aesthetic manner. Edited excerpts:

Since when did you start writing poems?

I started writing poems in class 9. I was 14 years old back then.

So, what inspired you to pick up the pen?

It was a rainy day and it was raining cats and dogs. I was sitting casually on my dining table, watching the rains. That’s when I felt so inspired that the words came on their own and I simply started writing. 

Also, I do not have any siblings and my parents are generally busy with their work. So, I do feel alone at times. Therefore, I prefer to spend time in nature’s company and nature inspires me to write poetry. 

So is this the story behind your poem Rain in the abode?

Yes, exactly. I submitted the poem last year but I had written it when I was in class 9.  

Clearly nature inspires you a lot. In your poem Wonder Greens,  you wish for the world to become like the greens for at least a day or an hour. What would change if your poetic vision came true?

Greens or plants are totally selfless. They do not expect anything in return for all that they give us. Plants only give, be it oxygen, shade or fruits. They never ask for anything in return. This is why they make the world so beautiful. I wish at times if we humans could also be like that. But humans are selfish. We do something for someone with an expectation to get something in return.

If we could become like the greens for even one day, then all the hatred, battles, anger, jealousy would be gone, and we would have a peaceful life for at least a day. It would indeed be a green world. 

But as I completed the poem, I realised that it would be an utopia for the world to change completely for the good. So, I wish that if the world could be green, even if only for an hour, that alone would change a lot. 

Do you believe that poetry can help create such a green world?

It depends. If a poem has such a deep impact on someone, then yes, the world will become green one day.

Who is your favourite poet and what is your favourite poem?

Robert Frost and his iconic poem The Road Not Taken. I was in class 9 when I read this poem. It was inspirational for me back then for I was thinking about my stream of studies in the future.

Do you like rhyme or free verse?

Anything works for me!

How does your school help you to write such beautiful poems?

My English teacher Anju ma’am encourages me a lot. She liked my poem Wonder Greens a lot and encouraged me to write more. 

Tell us about your thought process behind a poem?

I can not complete a poem in one sitting. I completed the poem Wonder Greens in 3 days.  I was just sitting on my balcony and saw the plants in my garden dancing in the wind and that inspired me to write. So far, I have written only on nature. 

What are your upcoming works?

I am still waiting for an inspiration to strike me. I do not decide on a topic; it spontaneously comes to me.

What message would you like to give through your poems?

I just want this world to change a bit. I have seen people being jealous and having hatred for one another. We must realise that we have only one life here on Earth and we should try to live it happily and to the fullest. I hope my poem brings a positive impact on people. I hope they understand my message and try to change themselves for the better.