Sharmila Ray

Sharmila Ray Poems

Sharmila Ray Biography

Sharmila Ray went to Presidency College and Calcutta University where she majored in History did her Ph.D. on Durga and governance and subsequently joined City College, Kolkata under Calcutta University where she is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of History. She writes in English and has authored six books of poetry; Earth Me And You (Granthalaya, Kolkata 1996) , A Day With Rini(Poetry And Art 1998) , Down Salt Water (Poets Foundation, Kolkata1999) , Living Other Lives(Minerva Press, New Delhi, Mumbai, London 2004) , It’s Fantasy, It’s Reality (Punaschya, Kolkata 2010) , With Salt And Brine (Yeti Publishers, Calicut 2013) . She has experimented her poems with sarod (Indian string instrument) and the result is a CD— Journey Through Poetry And Music. Her poems are available in a CD- Hello. Her poems, short stories and non fictional essays have appeared in various national and international magazines and journals. For a time she looked after the column Moving Hand Writes (Cal Times, Times Of India) . She also edited Poetry And Art, a journal of art and poetry (1992-1998) , The Journal (2012-13) , journal of the Poetry Society of India. She was also on the board of juries for All India Poetry Competition organized by Poetry Society of India and Ministry of Human Resources, Government Of India. She conducted poetry workshops and resource person for translation workshops organised by the British Council Kolkata, SahityaAkademi (Indian Academy of Letters, India) and Poetry Society India and participated in various seminars organized by Universities and private institutions. She also curated an exhibition combining paintings and poems sponsored by Alliance Francaise, Calcutta and Indian Alluminium. Currently she is the editor of Poetry And Art. She had been invited to International Struga Poetry Evenings, in Macedonia where she represented India and International poets meet in Kerala to share stage with Ben Okri.. She has been widely anthologized and featured both in India and abroad. She has been reading her poems in various parts of the country. Her poems have been translated into Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Slovene, Hebrew and Spanish. Currently she is working on a poetry manuscript and non-fictional essays. )

The Best Poem Of Sharmila Ray

Past Tense

PAST TENSE



I just can’t concentrate so I decided to write to you. It’s queer I can’t get you on the line and I am afraid to sms you.. I don’t even know when you will read this. I feel in my being a razor sharp pain but I can’t define it. Only I know it’s a kind of silence, creeping in upon me, a vast ocean which has lost its blue. I am looking at the books you have given me. I am looking how you have addressed me, my name written in that bold scrawl, in fact, I am looking at you. I desire you but the moment I finish typing my desire is already a past tense.

I do not know
where you are
nor the circuits
that create rhythm
in you.
But I want to know
did you think of me?
Now the sky is slate
the rain almost about to fall
and the earth eager for love.
I am remembering you
your sun-browned hand writing
the computer screen full with
heavy words.

Are you thinking of me
are you?

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